Retirement Planning by Age
Retirement planning changes with time, but it should not become a collection of thin pages that swap one age for another. The useful question is how the planning priorities change as the runway gets shorter and the consequences of assumptions become more immediate.
ExitPlan uses one age-based framework: early years emphasize habit and flexibility; middle years emphasize closing the savings gap; later years add retirement-income, Social Security, tax and sequence-of-returns decisions.
In your 30s: build the system
The biggest asset is time. Automate contributions, build emergency reserves, avoid letting lifestyle growth absorb every income increase and choose an account structure you understand. A modest sustainable contribution can be more valuable than an aggressive plan you abandon.
In your 40s: measure the gap
With two or three decades potentially remaining, generic benchmarks become less useful than a real projection. Estimate retirement spending, current assets and the monthly contribution needed to reach a target retirement age. Increase contributions when business income rises.
In your 50s: stress-test the retirement date
The plan now has less time to recover from optimistic assumptions. Test lower returns, higher health costs and a later retirement age. Review current catch-up rules and Social Security estimates using official sources. Business owners should also evaluate succession and sale assumptions.
In your 60s: shift from accumulation to income planning
Retirement timing, Social Security claiming, health coverage, taxes and withdrawal sequencing become more important. The retirement number still matters, but so does the plan for converting assets into spending without treating market returns as guaranteed.
See When I Can Retire
Use your actual age, savings and monthly contribution instead of a generic benchmark.
Related retirement planning resources
Related ExitPlan articles
Frequently asked questions
How much should I have saved by a certain age?
Age benchmarks can be a rough reference, but a personal target based on spending, retirement age and expected income is more informative.
Is it too late to start in my 50s?
Starting later can require larger contributions, a later retirement date or a lower spending target, but the correct response is to calculate the gap rather than assume it is hopeless.
Why not create a separate page for every age?
The planning intent is largely the same. One strong age-based hub avoids thin, near-duplicate pages and keeps the advice consistent.