How Much Should You Have Saved by 30, 40, and Beyond?

The most cited benchmark, popularized by Fidelity: one year's salary saved by 30, three by 40, six by 50, and ten by 67. On a $75,000 income, that means $75,000 in retirement accounts at 30 — a number that makes half its readers feel fine and the other half feel sick.

Both reactions overrate the benchmark. It's a trajectory check, not a verdict — and the math underneath it is more forgiving than the headline.

Where the multiples come from

The benchmarks back out from one goal: replacing roughly 45% of pre-retirement income from savings (Social Security covers a chunk of the rest), assuming steady saving of about 15% of income and long-run market returns. They're a reasonable centerline — but they assume a career that starts saving at 25 and never stops, which describes almost nobody with student loans, early low salaries, or a rough patch.

Behind at 30 is recoverable — the math says so

Compounding is why. Someone starting from zero at 30 who invests $700 a month at a 7% average return has about $1,260,738 by 65. Even starting at 40 with $1,000 a month reaches roughly $810,072. The benchmark you missed at 30 is a rounding error against three decades of contributions — what's unrecoverable isn't the past balance, it's future months of not starting.

The mechanical fixes, in order of power: capture the full employer 401(k) match (an instant 50–100% return), automate a percentage — not a dollar amount — so saving scales with raises, and put windfalls (bonuses, tax refunds, third paychecks in biweekly months) straight into the gap.

A fairer scorecard than age multiples

Track your savings rate instead of your balance. Balances swing with markets and start dates; the rate is fully in your control. At 15% of gross income saved consistently, the age multiples take care of themselves within a few years' tolerance. Below 10%, no benchmark chart will save the ending. The compound interest calculator makes this visceral — put in your own monthly number and watch the interest line cross your contributions line.