Investing

Wall St. Pro Breaks Down What a $1m Retirement Looks Like

Austin Smith

Published: October 4, 2024 10:30 am

Last Updated: February 11, 2025 3:33 pm

Key Points from 24/7 Wall St.:

• Prudence in spending is crucial for extending the longevity of retirement savings.
• Moving to a lower-cost area or tax-friendly state can significantly increase the value of your retirement funds.
• Assess all assets, including home equity, and consider downsizing to maximize financial security in retirement.
• As good as Costco is, it’s not as good as “the Next Nvidia.” Click here now to see what the hype is all about.

Watch the Video

Edited Video Transcript:

[00:00:00] Lee Jackson: Well, and it’s interesting talking about people that are our age and in a retirement generation. Um, we were brought up by people that lived through the depression. They, they, they were very thrifty people because they’d had, they’d seen firsthand what had happened. And I think today I read a lot of stories where we make 400, 000 a year, but I’m living month to month.

[00:00:24] Lee Jackson: And I’m like, How is that even possible? You know, what are you spending your money on? And I think as people get older, they’re a little more prudent in their spending. And that’s an important thing for making that money last is to be prudent in your spending. Again, you know, a Rolex tells time just as good as a Timex.

[00:00:44] Lee Jackson: And, you know, a designer Uh, wallet holds money just as well as something from, you know, TJ Maxx. And I think people get too carried away, especially today with luxury items, rather than realizing that, Hey, everybody’s in better shape and your lifespan may be longer, so you need to make it last.

[00:01:03] Douglas A. McIntyre: So I think part of our advice is, uh, take your expenses and make them as fixed as possible.

[00:01:11] Lee Jackson: Right.

[00:01:13] Douglas A. McIntyre: Next one, which people ought to know because of where they live. Think about your cost of living. Now, part of that is, is that some people will say, well, I’m going to move from Massachusetts to Mississippi because suddenly your million dollars is worth like 1. 2 million.

[00:01:29] Lee Jackson: It is. I can tell you from experience, your,

[00:01:32] Douglas A. McIntyre: your, your buying power goes up.

[00:01:34] Douglas A. McIntyre: Yeah. And the other thing is look at the million dollars along with any other assets you have. Don’t just look at the million dollars. If you’ve got other assets like a home, it’s a good time to ask yourself whether or not You want to keep that home or you want to have liquidity in that. So you’ve got a million and a half

[00:01:54] Lee Jackson: dollars.

[00:01:54] Lee Jackson: And for most people, if the home is paid off, you probably won’t go into a, uh, another home that’s equal to or greater than, so you will take a tax hit, but it’ll be a long term gain. And as, as long as it’s not, uh, taxed, In an incredible fashion, you know, you can walk away with some good money where you can a move to the condo life or move to a retirement community where everything is included, you know, and, and, and downsize.

[00:02:25] Lee Jackson: And that’s a good idea. And also consider the state you live in states like Florida and Texas don’t have state income tax. And in many places, like probably where you are, Doug in Connecticut and New York and places like that, it’s incredibly onerous. Yeah, it is.