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But financial experts advise that the average 65-year-old has between $1 million and $1.5 million set aside for retirement.

Key Takeaways. American workers had an average of $95,600 in their 401(k) plans at the end of 2018, according to one major study. But 401(k) and other retirement account balances vary widely by the age of the worker. Other major factors that influence retirement savings include household income and education.

By age 70, you should have at least 20X your annual expenses in savings or as reflected in your overall net worth. The higher your expense coverage ratio by 70, the better. In other words, if you spend $75,000 a year, you should have about $1,500,000 in savings or net worth to live a comfortable retirement.

The typical advice is that you should aim to replace 70% to 90% of your annual pre-retirement income through savings and Social Security. For example, a retiree who earns an average of $63,000 per year before retirement should expect to need $44,000 to $57,000 per year in retirement.

If you retire with $500k in assets, the 4% rule says that you should be able to withdraw $20,000 per year for a 30-year (or longer) retirement. So, if you retire at 60, the money should ideally last through age 90. If 4% sounds too low, consider that you'll take an income that increases with inflation.

The typical advice is that you should aim to replace 70% to 90% of your annual pre-retirement income through savings and Social Security. For example, a retiree who earns an average of $63,000 per year before retirement should expect to need $44,000 to $57,000 per year in retirement.

Research by the Federal Reserve found that the median retirement account balance in the U.S. looking only at those who have retirement accounts was just $60,000 in 2016 (the survey is conducted every three years and data for 2019 will be released at the end of 2020). The conditional mean balance was $228,900.

If you are nearing 60 (or already reached it) and no where close to that number, you're not the only one behind. A 2020 TD Ameritrade report, which surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults ages 40 to 79 with at least $25,000 in investable assets, found that 28% of those in their sixties have less than $50,000 in retirement savings.