Mitrade Insights is dedicated to providing investors with rich, timely and most valuable financial information to help investors grasp the market situation and find timely trading opportunities.

2021

Best News & Analysis Provider

FxDailyInfo

2022

Best Forex Educational Resources Global

International Business Magazine

Insights

News

This Is the Average 401(k) Balance for Ages 35 to 44

Source The Motley Fool

Being proactive with retirement savings is one of the best ways to ensure you're financially prepared to take on your golden years with as little stress as possible. That's why ages 35 to 44 can be a crucial period for retirement savings; it gives your savings more time to grow and compound.

During those years, many Americans have jobs that offer a 401(k), the country's most popular retirement account. There's no set amount you should have, but having a sense of what people have saved within your age range can help you gauge your progress and set future goals.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

Based on Vanguard's How Americans Save 2024 report, the average 401(k) balance for someone aged 35 to 44 is $91,281. The median balance at that age range is $35,537.

Someone kissing someone on the head while the other person puts a coin in a piggy bank.

Image source: Getty Images.

How much should someone save for retirement?

How much you need for retirement varies because location, retirement plans, and overall lifestyle all vary from person to person.

That said, one rule of thumb has been around for a while, called the "80% rule." The 80% rule says you should aim to have 80% of your last working year's income annually in retirement to maintain a similar lifestyle.

For example, if you made $100,000 in your last year working, you'd aim to have $80,000 annually if you wanted to maintain your lifestyle. If you want to downsize your lifestyle, you can lower the percentage and vice versa.

The 80% rule isn't perfect and shouldn't be taken as an absolute. However, it's a good baseline to start at to determine what your retirement savings goal should look like.

This income doesn't all have to come from your 401(k), either. Ideally, you have other sources of retirement income, such as investments in a brokerage account, IRAs, and Social Security.

The $22,924 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook

If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $22,924 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

View the "Social Security secrets" »

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Recommended Articles

Meta's AI bill just hit $145 billion — and it issued a new share class to pay for it Meta reported record third-quarter revenue of $64.60 billion, up 26% from a year earlier, and raised full-year 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $135-145 billion from $130-145 billion. To fund that build-out without touching Mark Zuckerberg's voting control, the company announced a 2-for-1 stock split that hands every Class A holder a new non-voting Class C share. Here are the four lines that matter, the peer group that is being re-rated alongside it, and the bull and bear cases.

Author Irene Q.

Oct 22, Thu

Meta reported record third-quarter revenue of $64.60 billion, up 26% from a year earlier, and raised full-year 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $135-145 billion from $130-145 billion. To fund that build-out without touching Mark Zuckerberg's voting control, the company announced a 2-for-1 stock split that hands every Class A holder a new non-voting Class C share. Here are the four lines that matter, the peer group that is being re-rated alongside it, and the bull and bear cases.

The Fed will sit still on October 28 — but 100 of 100 economists now expect a December hike A Reuters poll run October 16-20 found 94 of 100 economists expecting the Fed to hold at 3.75-4.00% on October 28 — and all 100 expecting a hike in December, against less than half a month earlier. The market is close to the same price, with CME FedWatch at roughly 17% for October and 82.8% for December. With the Fed in blackout since October 17, here are the five dates that decide the rest of the year, what each one is priced for, and the two directions each can take.

Author Irene Q.

Oct 22, Thu

A Reuters poll run October 16-20 found 94 of 100 economists expecting the Fed to hold at 3.75-4.00% on October 28 — and all 100 expecting a hike in December, against less than half a month earlier. The market is close to the same price, with CME FedWatch at roughly 17% for October and 82.8% for December. With the Fed in blackout since October 17, here are the five dates that decide the rest of the year, what each one is priced for, and the two directions each can take.

Gold falls to two‑month low below $4,050 as oil spikes Gold price (XAU/USD) falls to the lowest in more than two months near $4,025 during the early Asian session on Friday. The precious metal faces some selling pressure as escalating tensions in the Middle East send oil surging ahead of a Federal Reserve (Fed) policy meeting.

Author FXStreet

Oct 23, Fri

Gold price (XAU/USD) falls to the lowest in more than two months near $4,025 during the early Asian session on Friday. The precious metal faces some selling pressure as escalating tensions in the Middle East send oil surging ahead of a Federal Reserve (Fed) policy meeting.

Nasdaq closes at 26,008.86 — 8.9 points above 26,000, and the credit market never blinked The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.60% to 26,008.86 on October 22, its worst session since June, as Meta sank 6.98% on 2026 capex guidance of $135–145 billion. But the equal-weight S&P 500 rose 0.73%, high-yield credit was flat and 10-year yields fell 20 basis points. This was an AI de-rating, not a risk-off event — here is the transmission chain, the 29,000 / 28,200 levels and what would prove it wrong.

Author Irene Q.

Oct 23, Fri

The Nasdaq Composite fell 2.60% to 26,008.86 on October 22, its worst session since June, as Meta sank 6.98% on 2026 capex guidance of $135–145 billion. But the equal-weight S&P 500 rose 0.73%, high-yield credit was flat and 10-year yields fell 20 basis points. This was an AI de-rating, not a risk-off event — here is the transmission chain, the 29,000 / 28,200 levels and what would prove it wrong.

Brent tops $113 on Saudi supply risk — but the diesel line in the EIA report is the tell Brent's December contract settled at $113.17 on October 22, up 4.00% and the highest close since May 4, after Saudi Arabia restricted refined-product shipments. The same session's EIA report showed crude stocks down 3.06 million barrels and gasoline down 2.95 million — but distillates built 1.68 million. That single line decides whether $113 holds: here are the data, the 108.8 / 114.0 / 119.3 levels and the two scenarios.

Author Irene Q.

Oct 23, Fri

Brent's December contract settled at $113.17 on October 22, up 4.00% and the highest close since May 4, after Saudi Arabia restricted refined-product shipments. The same session's EIA report showed crude stocks down 3.06 million barrels and gasoline down 2.95 million — but distillates built 1.68 million. That single line decides whether $113 holds: here are the data, the 108.8 / 114.0 / 119.3 levels and the two scenarios.

Popular Symbols