Can 401(k) Accumulations Generate Significant Income for Future Retirees?
Young workers with high earnings who maintain 401(k) plans throughout their working years and retire at 65 are expected to receive median initial annual retirement benefits of 83-85 percent of what they were earning at the end of their careers, according to a study released today by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). The study finds that this "replacement rate" of preretirement income—which also includes expected Social Security benefits under the current system—could exceed 100 percent of preretirement income for those with low earnings.