How much do I need to retire at 62?
About 25.0× your annual spending — roughly $1,500,000 for a $60,000/yr lifestyle. Retiring at 62 means planning for about a 30-year retirement (to age 92), which supports a horizon-adjusted safe withdrawal rate of 4.0%, so the portfolio needed is annual spending ÷ 4.0%: $1,000,000 at $40,000/yr, $1,500,000 at $60,000/yr, $2,000,000 at $80,000/yr and $2,500,000 at $100,000/yr. These are portfolio-only targets under the 4% rule anchored at 30 years: Social Security, a pension or part-time income lowers the number, while pre-65 healthcare and a bad first decade of returns raise it — see the table by spending level.
Key numbers — each row links to the section that carries the full table. Updated 2026-09-07; data unchanged.
| Key number | Value | Where on this page |
|---|---|---|
| Planning horizon (retire at 62, plan to age 92) | 30 years | By spending level |
| Horizon-adjusted safe withdrawal rate | 4.0% | By spending level |
| Nest-egg multiple of annual spending | 25.0× | By spending level |
| Portfolio needed at 62 for $40,000/yr | $1,000,000 | By spending level |
| Portfolio needed at 62 for $60,000/yr | $1,500,000 | By spending level |
| Portfolio needed at 62 for $80,000/yr | $2,000,000 | By spending level |
| Portfolio needed at 62 for $100,000/yr | $2,500,000 | By spending level |
| Not counted in these targets | Social Security, pensions, part-time income (each lowers the number) | By spending level |
≈ $1,500,000 for a $60,000/yr lifestyle Retiring at 62 means planning for about a 30-year retirement (to age 92). That supports a 4.0% safe withdrawal rate, so you need roughly 25.0× your annual spending — before counting Social Security.
The number for retiring at 62, by spending level
Because a retirement starting at 62 runs about 30 years, we use a horizon-adjusted withdrawal rate of 4.0% (the 4% rule is calibrated for ~30 years; a 30-year retirement uses 4.0% to hold the same risk). Divide your annual spending by that rate to get the portfolio you need:
| Annual spending | Multiple | Portfolio needed at 62 |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 25.0× | $1,000,000 |
| $60,000 | 25.0× | $1,500,000 |
| $80,000 | 25.0× | $2,000,000 |
| $100,000 | 25.0× | $2,500,000 |
These are portfolio-only targets — they assume your investments fund 100% of spending. In reality Social Security, a pension, or part-time income covers part of it, lowering the number. The opposite also applies: healthcare before Medicare and higher early-retirement spending can raise it.
What's specific about retiring at 62
At 62 you can tap IRAs and 401(k)s penalty-free (past 59½), but Medicare doesn't start until 65 — the gap years mean ACA Marketplace coverage, where keeping MAGI under the subsidy cliff materially lowers your premiums.
Three things that move the 62 number most
- Sequence of returns. A market drop in your first few years of withdrawals does far more damage than the same drop later. See the sequence-of-returns calculator.
- Healthcare before 65. Retiring at 62 means 3 years of bridge coverage before Medicare — usually ACA Marketplace, where the subsidy cliff is a real planning lever. See the ACA cliff optimizer.
- Tax location of your savings. A $1M traditional 401(k) is worth less after tax than $1M in Roth. Use the gap years before Social Security and Medicare for Roth conversions.
Find your real retire-at-62 number
Free Monte Carlo (100 paths per run; 10,000 with PRO) with taxes, Social Security timing, ACA cliff, and sequence-of-returns risk — free, no signup.
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FAQ
How much do I need to retire at 62?
About 25.0× your annual spending — roughly $1,500,000 for a $60,000/yr lifestyle. Retiring at 62 means planning for about a 30-year retirement (to age 92), which supports a horizon-adjusted safe withdrawal rate of 4.0%, so the portfolio needed is annual spending ÷ 4.0%: $1,000,000 at $40,000/yr, $1,500,000 at $60,000/yr, $2,000,000 at $80,000/yr and $2,500,000 at $100,000/yr. These are portfolio-only targets under the 4% rule anchored at 30 years: Social Security, a pension or part-time income lowers the number, while pre-65 healthcare and a bad first decade of returns raise it — see the table by spending level.
How much money do I need to retire at 62?
A 30-year retirement (to age 92) supports a safe withdrawal rate of about 4.0%, so you need roughly 25.0 times your annual spending. For $60,000/yr that is about $1,500,000; for $100,000/yr it is about $2,500,000. These figures are before Social Security, which reduces the portfolio you need to fund yourself.
What withdrawal rate is safe if I retire at 62?
Retiring at 62 implies roughly a 30-year horizon. The classic 4% rule was built for about 30 years, so a 30-year retirement uses about 4.0% to keep the same depletion risk. Longer retirements need a lower rate; shorter ones can sustain a higher one.
Can I access my 401(k) at 62 without penalty?
At 62 you can tap IRAs and 401(k)s penalty-free (past 59½), but Medicare doesn't start until 65 — the gap years mean ACA Marketplace coverage, where keeping MAGI under the subsidy cliff materially lowers your premiums.
Does Social Security change how much I need to retire at 62?
Yes — every dollar of Social Security is a dollar your portfolio doesn't have to produce. The multiples above fund your full spending from the portfolio alone; once benefits start, the portfolio only needs to cover the gap, lowering your target. Delaying Social Security raises the benefit about 8% per year up to age 70.
How does inflation affect the number?
The safe-withdrawal-rate approach already assumes you raise withdrawals with inflation each year, and the rate is chosen to survive historical inflation and market sequences. The bigger risk is a bad return sequence in the first decade — which is why a Monte Carlo simulation (below) is more realistic than a flat rule.
Last updated 2026-09-07. Multiples use a horizon-adjusted safe withdrawal rate anchored to the 4% rule at 30 years and a planning horizon to age 92. Figures are portfolio-only and exclude Social Security and pensions. Educational only, not financial advice.