How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?

Everything You Need To Figure How Much Money You Need For Retirement - Articles, Calculators, Video (See Below) And More...

Figuring out how much money you need for retirement doesn't work like most of the "experts" claim.

The financial media is littered with dangerous half-truths written by people who have never spent a single day in retirement.

Financial planners have a vested interest in scaring you into over-saving, or worse yet, using only those assets they can sell to you and profit from (stocks, bonds, mutual funds).

I retired at age 35 and have lived off my portfolio for 2 decades.

In the articles (and book) below, I share with you how the process really works from someone who has walked the talk.

Articles

Do you REALLY KNOW how much money you need...

...Or are you guessing?

Retirement Calculators

The Ultimate Retirement Calculator

This calculator does everything the others do and a whole lot more. You can supplement your retirement savings with up to 3 additional income streams plus a one-time lump sum benefit such as selling a home. This allows for sophisticated scenario analysis other retirement calculators can't do.

Retirement Withdrawal Calculator

How much can I afford to withdraw each month given the retirement savings I have accumulated – both before and after inflation.

Other Retirement Calculators

A directory of 10 unique retirement calculators for you to choose from. Pick your favorite. Each teaches a different aspect of the "how much do I need to retire" story.

Videos, Audio, and Books

Wealth Planning Course: This 30-day course will show you the exact steps you need to take to achieve your financial goals so you can enjoy a secure retirement without any doubts. You can learn via video, audio, or transcripts, and you get all the tools and knowledge I've used to coach clients to a worry-free retirement. If your vision of retirement is cloudy, discover how you can gain clarity here.

In my book, How Much Money Do I Need to Retire?, you'll discover how retirement really works before it's too late.

"This book is the best I've seen on how to navigate the retirement savings questions." (Forbes)

This book takes you beyond the scientific facade of modern retirement planning. You'll learn the 5 critical assumptions that can destroy your financial security, how to reduce the amount you need to retire by as much as $600,000, 3 strategies you can use to maximize spending today while protecting for the future, and how to calculate the amount of money you really need to retire on the first try - without software, online calculators, or being a math genius.

Buy the book today so you can retire with confidence: Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

Average Savings By Age: How Do You Rank?

How does your net worth rank compare to the national averages for your age? What can you do to get ahead (if you’re behind)? The answers to these questions are important because you need to know while you still have time to correct and adjust your actions if there’s a problem. Discover a simple formula that quickly shows how well you’re doing financially, and you’ll also get clear actions steps and resources so you can accelerate how fast you achieve your financial goals. It’s knowledge that can change your financial outcome in life if you take action on it…

12 Dangerous Retirement Myths That Turn Your Golden Years Into Lead

These retirement myths threaten to destroy your financial security if you don’t overcome them. Many are conventional wisdom spoken so many times that they appear true. Don’t sabotage your one chance at a successful, happy retirement because you didn’t know better. Discover how you can clear these 12 hurdles to secure your financial future…

The Zen of Wealthy – When Is Enough… Enough!

How much is enough? It’s a question you’ll inevitably confront on your wealth building journey, and if you’re not prepared the answer may surprise you. The truth is less can be more because you’ll pay a price for every choice you make. The key is to know what’s right for you. There’s a sweet spot where you spend no more effort than is necessary to grow your wealth to the point that you can enjoy life experiences consistent with your values. In this article I’ll show you how to find that sweet spot…

27 Retirement Savings Catch-Up Strategies For Late Starters

Are you ten to fifteen years away from retirement, yet find yourself without sufficient savings? You’re not alone. The good news is that it’s never too late to start saving. Through the power of converting non-earning assets to investment savings, decreasing expenses, earning more, cutting investment expenses, and other less common strategies, you can reach your retirement savings goal on time. These 27 catch-up strategies will show you how…

Retirement Savings Statistics Get Uglier

Are you on track for retirement? Most people aren’t (unfortunately) and these retirement savings statistics prove it. Data collected over years shows little has changed in worker behavior despite changes in the economy. Here are some of the surprising numbers…

5 Reasons Retirement Calculators Can’t Be Trusted

Are you using retirement calculators correctly? If you aren’t, you run the huge risk of estimating your retirement savings incorrectly, leaving you dangerously exposed during what should be your golden years. Learn why the assumptions retirement calculators use are critical, the reasoning and math behind those assumptions, and the 5 rules you must follow when using retirement calculators so you can take advantage of this powerful tool.

5 Ways To Reduce How Much You Need To Save For Retirement By $300,000 (or More!)

If your retirement looms large, but your nest egg doesn’t, then this article can help. You’ll discover 5 simple strategies to reduce the amount of savings you need in retirement by $300,000… or more! Surprisingly, it’s much easier to reduce how much you need to save than it is to increase your savings. This is a frequently overlooked strategy that can allow you to reach your financial goals faster, and with greater security…

How To Retire Early: 6 Essential Strategies You Must Know…

The goal of retiring early means you have less time to accumulate assets and more time to live off them. Traditional methods for building wealth that work for others won’t work for you. In this article, you’ll discover the 3 paths you can take to accelerate you asset growth, 3 simple rules to create perpetual income streams, and how you can beat the inflation enemy…

Are Safe Withdrawal Rates Really Safe?

Retirement income planning is inherently problematic because you’re trying to convert a volatile pool of assets into a stable, reliable income stream that you’ll never outlive. How do you do that? In this article I deep-dive into the history of safe withdrawal rate research and the resulting 4% Rule – warts, blemishes, and all. I reveal what is true and false about conventional wisdom. This knowledge is inextricably intertwined with proper investment strategy making it essential to your financial security…

FM 010: How To Engineer Your Wealth Using Retirement Calculators With Darrow Kirkpatrick

Retirement calculators are powerful tools when used properly, but they are weapons of mass deception when used incorrectly. In episode #10 of the Financial Mentor podcast, Darrow Kirkpatrick and I reveal the tricks and traps to using retirement calculators right. This topic is much bigger than just retirement planning. This is about engineering your way to wealth and using retirement calculators as a handy tool to make the math easy. There are many nuances and little-known creative strategies that can help you achieve financial security much earlier than you ever imagined possible. And there are many potholes you must avoid so you don’t make foolish decisions…