Fidelity’s guideline says to aim for retirement savings equal to 10 times your current annual income by age 67. Its milestones are 1x income by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50 and 8x by 60. These are planning goalposts—not a personal guarantee or a dollar target that applies equally to everyone.
What the age-67 retirement savings rule says
Fidelity’s guideline is to have saved 10 times your current income by age 67. The steps along the way are:
| Age | Fidelity savings milestone |
|---|---|
| 30 | 1x current income |
| 40 | 3x current income |
| 50 | 6x current income |
| 60 | 8x current income |
| 67 | 10x current income |
Fidelity states: “Aim to save at least 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60, and 10x by 67.” The guideline is intended to help people assess progress toward maintaining a similar lifestyle in retirement; it is not a forecast of what any particular person will need.
What 10 times income means in dollars
The target depends on the income figure used. For example, The Motley Fool illustrated the rule with annual earnings of about $65,000, arriving at a savings goal of about $650,000. The article based that earnings figure on average weekly earnings of $1,251 in 2026 Q2, which it attributed to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and rounded the annualized amount to about $65,000. This is an illustration reported by The Motley Fool, not a separately verified BLS figure or an individualized target.
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To apply the multiplier to your own situation, multiply your current annual income by 10. A different income produces a different dollar result, and the benchmark does not by itself tell you whether that amount will cover your planned expenses.
The assumptions behind Fidelity’s benchmark
The age-67 guideline is built around a particular savings and retirement path. Fidelity’s assumptions include:
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- Saving 15% of income each year beginning at age 25, counting employer contributions or a match.
- Investing more than half of savings in stocks, on average, over the working lifetime.
- Retiring at age 67.
- Aiming to maintain a similar lifestyle after retirement.
Fidelity also recommends saving at least 15% of pretax income annually, including employer contributions. Its guidance estimates that many people may need to replace 55% to 80% of preretirement income to maintain their lifestyle, with personal savings providing about 45% after Social Security and other income are taken into account. Those are broad planning estimates, not promises about an individual’s benefits or spending.
Why your retirement age and spending can change the target
Fidelity’s examples show how the multiple shifts with the planned retirement date: its guidance gives 12x income for retirement at 65, 10x at 67 and 8x at 70, for someone seeking to maintain a similar lifestyle. Working longer can give savings more time to grow, shorten the period savings must support, and increase Social Security benefits. A later date is not automatically right for every person, and these examples are not a personalized calculation.
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Expected spending matters as well. Someone planning lower expenses in retirement may be able to make a lower savings multiple work; a higher-spending lifestyle may require more. A pension, Social Security and other income sources also change the amount that must come from personal savings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to use the rule to assess your own savings
- Choose a realistic retirement age. Compare your plan with the milestone for that age rather than treating 10x at 67 as universal.
- Estimate the lifestyle you want. Consider expected retirement expenses; the rule assumes a similar lifestyle, not any particular spending level.
- Compare the milestone with your actual savings. Use current income and the savings you have accumulated, then note the time remaining before retirement.
- Include other income and workplace contributions. Account for employer match, a pension, Social Security and other sources when considering how much personal savings must provide.
- Consider whether the assumptions fit. The benchmark presumes a 15% annual savings rate including employer contributions and an equity-heavy investment mix over a long working lifetime. Your circumstances and ability to take investment risk may differ.
If your savings are below a milestone, that comparison alone does not establish that you are doomed to fall short. It signals that the assumptions behind the benchmark and your own plan deserve closer examination. The multiplier is a starting point; it cannot resolve all the variables in a retirement plan.
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