How much is enough to retire at 40

Financial products with lower risks help you to build up your nest egg for retirement. Image credit: Pexels

Given that your savings are insufficient, you need to increase them by investing in lower risk financial products that still provide reasonable returns, such as endowment plans.

An endowment plan is a type of insurance that provides basic insurance coverage, helps you to save over a specific period of time and possibly provide a lump sum benefit upon maturity of the policy.

Gro Cash Flex Pro is a flexible insurance savings plan that has a wide selection of policy terms and premium terms that allows you to save and enjoy yearly cash payouts1 after the end of the second policy year, while still protecting you. It also provides guaranteed acceptance which means that your policy will be accepted regardless of your health condition.

You can also consider enhancing your plan with the Cancer Premium Waiver (GIO). This rider will kick in and waives your policy's future premiums if you're diagnosed with a major cancer during the rider term2. You can refer to the website here for the relevant terms and conditions.

How much is enough to retire at 40


You can also consider enhancing your plan with the Cancer Premium Waiver (GIO). This rider will kick in and waives your policy's future premiums if you're diagnosed with a specified major cancer during the rider term. You can refer to the website here for the relevant terms and conditions.

Although it is tempting to make up for lost time by investing in products with higher returns, these products also come with a correspondingly high risk. Should the investment fail, you will may lose your capital and even incur a debt.

Downsize your house, upsize your savings

As you age and your children get married in the future, it may be tough to clean and maintain a large house. Thus, it may make sense to consider downsizing your house so that you can use the profits from the property sale for investment. An advantage of downsizing your house is that you pay lesser property tax and enjoy higher government rebates.

In Singapore, property tax is determined by the Annual Value (AV) of your property. You can use the following formula to calculate your property tax.


Annual Value (AV) X Property Tax Rate = Property Tax Payable

Property Tax by Property Type and Annual Value

Annual Value ($)Effective 1 Jan 2023Property Tax PayableFirst $80000%$0Next $22,0004%$880First $30,000-$880Next $10,0005%$500First $40,000-$1380Next $15,0007%$1050First $55,000-$2430Next $15,00010%$1500

Full table on IRAS website. Credit: IRAS

As shown from IRAS’ property tax details above, owners of smaller flats pay less property tax and this could lead to greater savings for your retirement years.

Top-up CPF for additional interest

There are multiple benefits when you top up your Central Provident Fund (CPF). Firstly, if you use cash to top-up for yourself, you get to enjoy tax relief equivalent to the amount of your cash top-up, for up to $7,000 for each calendar year. Moreover, the savings in your Special Account and Retirement Account can earn an interest rate of up to 6% per annum.  

Reduce your spending

This may sound daunting if you are used to spending what you earn but you can start small by saving $100 every month. Every little bit counts. Your $100 savings per month will amount to $1,200 a year (or an additional $32,400 over 27 years till you reach your retirement age at 67 years old). You could be getting even more from accumulated interest if you put your money in an insurance savings plan or from the returns of an investment product.  

Those who hope to retire at 40 need to be focused on their savings. Accordingly, it's important to know how much to save. Here's how to find out.

Updated October 10, 2022

Share:

Prepare for Retirement

How much is enough to retire at 40

  Table of Contents

  • How Much You Need to Budget to Retire at 40
  • How Will You Cover Health Care Needs?
  • How Much Retirement Income Will You Need at 40?
  • Are You Prepared to Retire at 40?

Over the last decade, the "financial independence, retire early" (FIRE) movement has become one of the hottest mantras of the millennial generation. But the reality is that leaving the workforce in the prime of your life requires even higher investment contributions and more severe cost-cutting than you might think.

Wondering how much money do I need to retire at 40? Here's what to know.

How Much You Need to Budget to Retire at 40

If you're looking for a quick answer, the amount is a lot. Extremely early retirements can be a tricky proposition — you're giving yourself fewer years to build up a reserve of savings and leaving yourself with more years to live off those funds.

The more optimistic FIRE adherents assume that a 4% withdrawal rate from savings, adjusted annually for inflation, will leave them with enough funds for a prolonged retirement (assuming at least half their money is invested in stocks). That means they'd be able to quit their full-time job once they've saved 25 times their yearly wages. In a low-interest-rate environment, some suggest even greater reserves.

It's true that you might not need quite as much income in retirement, as you won't have to commute every day and can save on other costs associated with working full-time. But in a lot of cases, your current spending levels are a pretty good starting point for estimating what your post-work budget is going to look like.

Here are the future expenses you'll want to consider:

  • Housing costs
  • Car payments and fuel costs
  • Grocery bills
  • Utilities
  • Student loans and other debt
  • Child care costs and college savings, if applicable
  • Entertainment and travel expenses

How Will You Cover Health Care Needs?

And that doesn't even cover one of the biggest spending categories for any retiree: health care. Those who retire at an age when most people are considered "mid-career" face something of a conundrum. They're far too young for Medicare's relatively low premiums and unable to get subsidized care through an employer.

It certainly helps if you're eligible for coverage on a spouse's plan, as going it alone can be an expensive undertaking. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average 40-year-old enrolled in a private plan might spend $329 a month for the least-expensive option in 2022, and they would potentially have to pay $462 to stay on the most-expensive plan.

Needless to say, those rates can climb quickly if you have to add kids or a spouse to the plan. And they could rise even further as you get older.

Live More & Worry Less

Live More & Worry Less

We have financial professionals ready to assist you on your retirement journey.

Start Your Plan

How Much Retirement Income Will You Need at 40?

Suppose, in adding up all your expenses, you anticipate being able to live comfortably on $50,000 a year following your retirement. (Our Retirement Cost of Living Calculator can help you do the math.) Following the 4% withdrawal rule, that means you'd need to have $1.25 million saved by the time you end your career. With a 7% return on your investment during your working years, you'd need an average investment contribution of $3,000 a month between age 22 and age 40 to reach $1.25 million, although this scenario does not take into consideration market volatility or the consequence of fees or taxes on the account.

If you want to play it safe because of low interest rates — following a 3.5% withdrawal rule, for example — you'll want a bit more than that.

So, how does one get there? For a start, saving very aggressively. Typically, you can't pull money out of a 401(k) until you reach age 59½ without incurring penalties, so diverting some of those funds to a taxable brokerage account is likely a necessity.

That audacious savings level means you're either earning a very good salary or you've managed to trim your expenses so much that most of your income is going straight to an investment account. For most workers, simply skipping your daily latte at the coffee shop isn't going to cut it; you may need more drastic measures, like living below your means and making due with public transportation instead of owning your own car.

MORE How to Save for Retirement

Are You Prepared to Retire at 40?

It's important to bear in mind that planning for an extended retirement invites a number of financial risks. The market could experience fluctuations that erode your account balances. Or you could face an unexpected medical condition that requires care in an expensive nursing facility.

Those hoping to leave their 9-to-5 to retire at 40 would do well to expect the unexpected and proceed cautiously. As with any complex financial decision, talking with a trusted financial professional is time well spent. You'll likely come away with a more precise answer to the question, "How much money do I need to retire at 40?" and could gain a detailed plan for accomplishing that goal.

How much should I have in retirement by the time I'm 40?

To stay on track to retire at 67, you should have saved 3 times your income by age 40, according to retirement-plan provider Fidelity Investments.

How much money will I need to retire in 45 years?

“Retire at 45 with $500,000” and the 4% Rule To figure out how big a nest egg you'll need, you have to match that 4% to your anticipated expenses. If you plan to live on $30,000 each year, for example, you'll need $750K socked away. If your expenses will be $40,000, you'll need $1 million—and so forth.