This Is the Average 401(k) Balance for Gen Xers. How Does Yours Compare?

The number may surprise you — but not necessarily in a good way.

Gen Xers are a unique bunch. They were independent as kids, skeptical as young adults, and adaptable from a technology standpoint.

But Gen Xers have also faced their share of financial challenges and upheaval. They had to grapple with the early 1900s recession as young workers, and then the dot-com bust and 2008 financial crisis during their higher-earning years. Throw in the big shift from workplace pensions to self-funded retirement savings that occurred during Gen Xers’ careers, and it’s no wonder so many are sorely behind on building their nest eggs.

Two people holding mugs.

Image source: Getty Images.

Data from Fidelity reveals just how far behind Gen Xers are. The good news, though, is that some may still have time to catch up.

The average 401(k) balance among boomers Gen Xers

Last year, Fidelity reported that the average 401(k) plan balance among Gen Xers was $192,300. And that, frankly, is not a very encouraging number.

If we apply the popular 4% rule to that savings balance, it results in an annual income of about $7,700, not accounting for inflation adjustments. Even with Social Security, that’s not a ton of money to fall back on.

How Gen Xers can make up for limited savings

If you’re an older member of Gen X and you’re unhappy with your retirement savings balance, one thing you may want to consider is working longer. For example, if you’re 59 now with plans to retire at 62, rethink that. See if you can plug away until age 65 (which is when Medicare eligibility begins) or 67 (which would be your full retirement age for Social Security) and grow your savings accordingly.

Older Gen Xers may also want to consider delaying Social Security as long as possible. Waiting until age 70 gives you much larger monthly checks for life.

If you’re a younger Gen Xer, you might still have time to boost your 401(k) nicely. There are plenty of Gen Xers who are still in their 40s with a good 15 years of contributions ahead of them.

Let’s say you’re 47 with $192,300 saved now. If you put $500 a month into your workplace retirement plan and your investments give you an 8% return during that time, which is a bit below the stock market’s average, you’ll be looking at a total balance of about $773,000 by age 62, which is the earliest point to sign up for Social Security. That accounts for growth on your $192,300 as well as future contributions.

The average 401(k) balance today isn’t great for older Gen Xers. Younger Gen Xers who have close to $200,000 saved may not be in dire shape, but may need to ramp up in the coming years to avoid a shortfall.

No matter the shape of your 401(k), it’s important to be flexible and adjust your plans if your retirement savings total isn’t where you need it to be.

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

TMZ

Don Lemon Gets Standing Ovation at Clive Davis Pre Grammy Party After Arrest

Don Lemon was welcomed with a rousing standing ovation at Clive Davis‘ annual pre-Grammy Awards party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Saturday … after his hugely controversial arrest. As you know … Lemon was arrested Thursday night in Los Angeles for allegedly co-conspiring with protesters to disrupt a church service in Minneapolis. Of course, Lemon

Downturns

Here’s what happened and what comes next

‘This is absolutely INSANE.” While the comment came from a social media post, the painful knee-jerk reaction is likely reverberating across the board for anyone even remotely interested in crypto, as bitcoin just plunged to near $77,000 on Saturday and has held there since. The price of the largest digital asset didn’t just stumble; it

Democrat Taylor Rehment coasted to victory in a Texas state legislative special election on Saturday—a district Trump comfortably carried a year ago.

Trump Goes on Manic Posting Spree After GOP’s Humiliating Loss

The president self-soothed by going on a Truth Social posting spree after the Republican Party suffered a major upset in Texas. President Donald Trump, 79, made seven posts in the span of just three minutes on Sunday afternoon and reposted six endorsements he made over the last week after a Democratic candidate secured a decisive

Protesters form a human banner on Ocean Beach in San Francisco in protest of ICE on Saturday.

Protests Against ICE Draw Huge Crowds Over The Weekend

Thousands of protesters gathered at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Saturday in order to spell out a clear message for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  “We have eyes,” the message reads from above. “No more lies.” Politics: Economic Blackout Planned To Protest ICE’s ‘Complete Disaster’ In Minnesota Demonstrators then clustered to form letters that said

Belen Celestial of Trumpington, Cambridge, passed away peacefully on Friday 9th January 2026, at home, aged 79 years

Death notices and funeral announcements from Cambridgeshire this week

Our thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one Belen Celestial of Trumpington, Cambridge, passed away peacefully on Friday 9th January 2026, at home, aged 79 years(Image: funeral-notices) Announcing the passing of a loved one in local news media is a long standing tradition and we are proud of the trust placed in

The extreme cold across much of the eastern part of the country is hanging on for February. Areas from the Plains to the Northeast will see below-average temperatures for the month, as a frigid pattern is locked in over the country. 

Polar vortex: Arctic air to last as polar vortex weakens for February outlook

The extreme cold across much of the eastern part of the country is hanging on for February. Areas from the Plains to the Northeast will see below-average temperatures for the month, as a frigid pattern is locked in over the country.  The bitter cold temperatures that have left a chill over the eastern half of

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Performance

Bitcoin’s Sell-Off Reveals Deep Market Divides: Opportunity or Structural Vulnerability?

Bitcoin’s recent sell-off has exposed a growing tension in crypto markets, pitting seasoned “buy-the-dip” investors against mounting evidence of structural vulnerabilities. As the digital asset fell alongside a broader risk-off move in global markets, analysts offered sharply contrasting interpretations of the downturn and its implications for investors. Sponsored Sponsored Bitcoin’s Sell-Off Reveals a Deepening Clash

The letters AI on a rendering of a computer chip.

Billionaires Are Piling Into This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock. Here’s Why.

Billionaires regularly pile more of their money into the biggest winners. Billionaire investors eagerly load up on winning growth stocks that look ready to extend their rallies. Few stocks fit the description quite like Nvidia (NVDA 0.72%), which recently got the attention of hedge fund billionaire David Tepper, who bought more shares for Appaloosa Management.

Advanced Micro Devices headquarters.

A Once-in-a-Decade Investment Opportunity: 1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Semiconductor Stock That Could Go Parabolic in 2026 (Hint: It’s Not Nvidia)

Advanced Micro Devices is swiftly becoming a major source of parallel processing power for hyperscalers. Throughout the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Nvidia (NVDA 0.72%) has been the 800-pound gorilla in the world of high-performance parallel processors. The company’s pioneering role in designing graphics processing units (GPUs) gave it a massive first-mover advantage in the generative

Why This AI Stock’s Recent Pullback Could Be a Gift for Long-Term Investors

Broadcom’s recent price dip makes the stock worth a close look. Broadcom (AVGO +0.15%) shares have pulled back about 20% from the highs they hit in December, which could be a huge gift to investors. The company has one of the biggest growth opportunities in the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure space, and it is just

People gather for a solidarity rally in the city center organized by the "Millions of Moments for Democracy" initiative to show their support for liberal President Petr Pavel. Deml Ondøej/CTK/dpa

Tens of thousands of Czechs demonstrate for President Pavel

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Czech Republic on Sunday to show support for liberal President Petr Pavel. They responded to a call from the initiative “Million Moments for Democracy” and gathered in two large squares in the city centre of Prague. The background is an increasingly escalating dispute between

A man worried about receiving a ticket in the mail.

Why Some Experts Are Telling Californians Not To Pay Their Red Light Tickets

According to the California Governor’s Highway Safety Association, in 2021, crashes that involved someone running a red light killed 1,109 people. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that during the following year, 1,149 people died and over 107,000 people were injured when someone ran a red light. It also found that automated red-light

An image taken by NASA's Curiosity rover shows its LED lights lighting up a hole it drilled into the surface of the rock.

This Photo of Mars at Night Is Straight Up Haunting

The length of a night on Mars isn’t too different from here on Earth, lasting just over 12 hours on average. Thanks to its similar axial tilt, it also experiences longer nights in winter and shorter nights during summer — but the gloom is eerie, with temperatures plummeting to as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit

IDF discovers hundreds of weapons in underground tunnel in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, February 1, 2026. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

IDF discovers living quarters, weapons inside 100-meter-long tunnel in Gaza’s south

IDF strikes a Hezbollah terrorist and several engineering vehicles belonging to the terror organization in southern Lebanon • Francesca Albanese condemns IDF weekend strikes in Gaza. IDF soldiers destroyed an underground tunnel hundreds of meters long near Khan Yunis during operations to clear the area east of the yellow line in the southern Gaza Strip,

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x