Retiring Your Way

How Much Do I Need to Retire?

It’s one of the most common questions we hear:

“How much money should I have saved for retirement?”

Our answer usually starts with another question:

“What do you want your retirement to look like?”

That’s because there really isn’t one magic number. Two people can retire with the exact same amount of money and have completely different outcomes depending on the lifestyle they want to live, how much they spend, and what they hope to accomplish.

For us, retirement planning isn’t simply about reaching a certain account balance. It’s about helping you create a retirement that provides flexibility, peace of mind, and, ultimately, happiness.

Start With the Life You Want

Before we start talking about investment returns, withdrawal rates, or retirement income, we want to understand your goals.

Do you want to travel? Buy a second home? Help your children or grandchildren? Give more to charity? Spend more during the first decade of retirement while you’re active and healthy? Or maybe your ideal retirement is simply maintaining the lifestyle you already enjoy.

Once we understand what you want retirement to look like, we can work backward. We look at what you’ve accumulated, your expected sources of income, your spending needs, and the things you’d like to accomplish. From there, we can begin answering the question that really matters:

“Can I afford the retirement I want?”

Sometimes the answer is an easy yes. Other times, the conversation may involve trade-offs or some level of sacrifice. Maybe you work another year or two. Maybe you adjust spending. Maybe certain goals need to be prioritized differently.

The important thing is having clarity. As I always tell folks, retiring with a plan is like watching a scary movie a second time around.

You kind of already know what is coming! Removing the uncertainty and replacing it with clarity makes it seem less scary.

Turning Your Savings Into a Retirement Paycheck

Accumulating money is only part of retirement planning. Eventually, you need to turn those savings into income—and do it in a way designed to last.

The last thing anyone wants is to reach their later retirement years and worry about running out of money.

That’s why we’re deliberate about planning retirement withdrawals. Using financial planning technology, we can model different scenarios and customize an income strategy around each client’s circumstances and goals.

We can also account for the fact that retirement spending isn’t necessarily the same every year. Many retirees spend more during their early years when they’re traveling, enjoying hobbies, and checking items off their bucket lists. Spending may naturally decrease later in retirement.

A thoughtful retirement plan should recognize those different stages rather than assume retirement will look exactly the same at age 65 as it does at 85.

It’s About More Than a Number

So, how much do you need to retire?

The answer isn’t a universal number. It’s the amount that allows you to live the retirement you want without constantly worrying about whether your money will last.

Our job is to understand what that life looks like, help determine what it will take to get there, and build a plan designed to give you the confidence to enjoy it.

Because at the end of the day, retirement planning isn’t just about your money.

It’s about what your money allows you to do with your life.

Author: Brian Zellers

Published on 9/1/2026

Important Disclosure:

This material is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Financial planning and retirement projections are based on assumptions regarding factors such as investment returns, inflation, spending, taxes, life expectancy, and other variables. Actual results may differ materially from projections, and no financial plan or investment strategy can guarantee that retirement goals will be achieved or that assets will last throughout retirement. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Individual circumstances vary, and strategies should be evaluated based on each client's specific financial situation, objectives, and risk tolerance.