Spotlight PERSONAL FINANCE The 'magic number' for a comfortable retirement just got bigger DANIEL DE VISÉ USA Today Network Jun 28, 2026 Jun 28, 2026 Updated Sep 8, 2026 0 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Americans now think they need $1.46 million to retire in comfort. Sam Ward illustration, USA Today kAm#6E:C6>6?E A=2??6CD D@>6E:>6D DA62< @7 2 Q>28:4 ?F>36CQi 2 C@F89 6DE:>2E6 @7 9@H >F49 >@?6J 2? p>6C:42? >:89E ?665 E@ C6E:C6 :? 4@>7@CE]k^AmkAm}@E DFCAC:D:?8=J[ E96 ?F>36C <66AD C:D:?8]k^AmkAmp>6C:42?D ?@H ?665 S`]ce >:==:@? E@ C6E:C6 4@>7@CE23=J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 a_ae 65:E:@? @7 2 H6==\<?@H? 7:?2?4:2= A=2??:?8 DFCG6J 7C@> }@CE9H6DE6C? |FEF2=]k^AmkAm%96 >28:4 ?F>36C :D :?E6?565 2D 2 “8F:56A@DE” 7@C C6E:C6>6?E A=2??:?8[ 2?5 ?@E 2D 2 DA64:7:4 D2G:?8D 8@2=[ D2:5 y@9? #@36CED[ 6I64FE:G6 G:46 AC6D:56?E 2?5 49:67 7:6=5 @77:46C 2E }@CE9H6DE6C? |FEF2=]k^Am People are also reading… Old Fort woman charged with murder Friday North Carolina JV football player dies after suffering injury during Thursday night game McDowell County man charged with kicking open front door of house Two write-in candidates running in McDowell County fall elections What's the latest on the Clinchfield Mill apartment project in Marion? Marion woman gets 3 years in prison for defrauding FEMA after Helene South Carolina man charged by McDowell Sheriff’s Office with child sex crimes President Trump is planning a visit to Gastonia. Here's what to know Foothills Food Hub opens store in Marion selling locally produced food, including meat and veggies McDowell County Schools alumni spotlight: Early College grad's career brings her back home Woman accused of doing heroin in restroom at sheriff’s office, NC deputies say What's the latest on Old Fort's streetscape? Here's the schedule for construction, detour routes Data centers, streetscape project, homelessness to headline meetings in McDowell this week More than 10 college baseball coaches are coming to Hickory for CVCC prospect camp McDowell County commissioners hear about state legislation on data centers kAmxE’D 2=D@ 2 8@2= 76H p>6C:42?D 92G6 C624965]k^AmkAm}62C=J 92=7 @7 ?@?\C6E:C66D DFCG6J65 D2:5 E96J 5@ ?@E E9:?< E96J H:== 36 7:?2?4:2==J AC6A2C65 7@C C6E:C6>6?E H96? E96 E:>6 4@>6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 a_ae !=2??:?8 U2>Aj !C@8C6DD $EF5J]k^AmkAmp?5 C@F89=J 92=7 @7 2== p>6C:42?D DFCG6J65 D2:5 :E :D =:<6=J E96J 4@F=5 @FE=:G6 E96:C D2G:?8D] #F??:?8 @FE @7 >@?6J :? C6E:C6>6?E :D 2 A6C6??:2= 762C 2>@?8 @=56C p>6C:42?D]k^Am Personal-finance Maybe we don't all need $1 million to retire, after all Daniel de Visé USA TODAY kAm%96 ?6H }@CE9H6DE6C? |FEF2= 7:?5:?8D[ C6=62D65 :? pAC:=[ 5C2H 7C@> DFCG6JD @7 c[bfd 25F=ED :? y2?F2CJ]k^Am kAm“%96C6 D66>D E@ 36 2 H:56?:?8 82A 36EH66? H92E H6 2== 6IA64E H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ ?665 2?5 H92E H6 24EF2==J 92G6[” #@36CED D2:5 :? |2C49]k^Am kAmx? 7@FC AC6G:@FD J62CD[ E96 C6E:C6>6?E >28:4 ?F>36C 92D C2?865 2D =@H 2D S`]ad >:==:@? W:? a_aaX] xE 92D ?@E C2?865 9:896C E92? S`]ce >:==:@?]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts kAm%96 }@CE9H6DE6C? |FEF2= DFCG6J 4@>6D 2E 2 >@>6?E H96? p>6C:42?D 2C6 4@A:?8 H:E9 J62CD @7 4F>F=2E:G6 :?7=2E:@?] p C6E:C66 :? a_ae 42? 6IA64E E@ A2J >@C6 E92? 6G6C[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 7@C =@?8\E6C> 42C6 6IA6?D6D DF49 2D 2DD:DE65 =:G:?8 2?5 D<:==65 ?FCD:?8]k^Am Technology Stop texting passwords to your partner, it's riskier than you think Ken Colburn Arizona Republix k9amxD S`]ce >:==:@? 2 C62=:DE:4 C6E:C6>6?E D2G:?8D 8@2=nk^9amkAm}@E >2?J p>6C:42?D C6E:C6 H:E9 S`]ce >:==:@? :? D2G:?8D] %96 EJA:42= 9@FD69@=5 :? E96 ed\fc 286 C2?86 92D 23@FE Sa__[___ :? C6E:C6>6?E 244@F?ED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 a_aa 7656C2= $FCG6J @7 r@?DF>6C u:?2?46D]k^Am kAmu6H[ :7 2?J[ C6E:C6>6?E A=2??6CD H@F=5 DF886DE E92E 6G6CJ C6E:C66 ?665D S`]ce >:==:@? E@ >2<6 6?5D >66E] |@DE p>6C:42?D C6E:C6 H:E9 ?@H96C6 ?62C S` >:==:@? :? D2G:?8D] |2?J C6E:C6 4@>7@CE23=J @? $@4:2= $64FC:EJ :?4@>6 2=@?6]k^Am kAmp >@C6 2EE2:?23=6 C6E:C6>6?E A=2??:?8 8@2= DF886DED E92E J@F 2:> E@ D2G6 `_ E:>6D J@FC 2??F2= :?4@>6 3J 286 ef] u@C E96 EJA:42= p>6C:42? 9@FD69@=5[ E92E H@F=5 H@C< @FE E@ 2 =:EE=6 @G6C Sg__[___ :? D2G:?8D[ 32D65 @? 2 >65:2? 9@FD69@=5 :?4@>6 @7 Sgb[fb_ :? a_ac]k^Am kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 }@CE9H6DE6C? |FEF2= DFCG6J[ 76H @7 FD 92G6 >6E E92E 8@2=]k^AmkAm(:E9:? v6?6C2E:@? )[ E96 4@9@CE ?62C:?8 C6E:C6>6?E[ @?=J 23@FE `bT @7 DFCG6J C6DA@?56?ED D2:5 E96J 925 D2G65 `_ E:>6D E96:C :?4@>6 @C >@C6] p >2;@C:EJ @7 v6? )6CD D2:5 E96J 92G6 D2G65 7@FC E:>6D E96:C :?4@>6 @C =6DD E@H2C5 C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am kAm}@E DFCAC:D:?8=J[ @?=J chT @7 v6? )6CD D2:5 E96J E9:?< E96J H:== 36 7:?2?4:2==J AC6A2C65 7@C C6E:C6>6?E] w2=7 @7 v6? )6CD A=2? E@ 4@?E:?F6 H@C<:?8 :? C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am Personal-finance High gas prices spur Americans to improvise, from bus rides to toy cars Helen Coster and Rich McKay Reuters kAmx7 2?J 8C@FA @7 p>6C:42?D :D @? EC24< 7@C C6E:C6>6?E[ :E >:89E 36 v6?6C2E:@? +[ E96 4@9@CE H9@D6 @=56DE >6>36CD 2C6 ?62C:?8 b_] k^AmkAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 }@CE9H6DE6C? |FEF2= DFCG6J[ ?62C=J E9C66\BF2CE6CD @7 v6? + 2=C625J 92G6 D2G65 >@C6 E92? @?6 J62C @7 :?4@>6 E@H2C5 C6E:C6>6?E] %96 2G6C286 v6?\+6C DE2CE65 D2G:?8 7@C C6E:C6>6?E 2E 286 aa] %96 EJA:42= v6? )6C[ 3J 4@?EC2DE[ DE2CE65 D2G:?8 2E 286 ba]k^Am kAm“%96 8@@5 ?6HD :D[ v6? + W:DX … AFEE:?8 2H2J >@?6J 62C=:6C[” #@36CED D2:5]k^Am 0 Comments Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Here are the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America A new ranking of the nation's wealthiest suburbs, as measured by household income, finds much of America's wealth concentrated in a few metrop… Trump Accounts are now live. 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Technology Stop texting passwords to your partner, it's riskier than you think Ken Colburn Arizona Republix
Personal-finance High gas prices spur Americans to improvise, from bus rides to toy cars Helen Coster and Rich McKay Reuters
Here are the 10 wealthiest suburbs in America A new ranking of the nation's wealthiest suburbs, as measured by household income, finds much of America's wealth concentrated in a few metrop…
Trump Accounts are now live. Here's how they work Trump Accounts went live on the Fourth of July, with the families of 6 million children claiming accounts. Among those are 1.4 million newborn…
