The most discouraging retirement advice is "you should have started in your 20s." For people in their 40s or 50s with minimal savings, this is true but useless. Here's what you can actually do from wherever you are today.
The honest math from different starting points
📊 Late-start retirement calculator
Projected balance at retirement
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The maximum contribution catch-up strategy
- Age 50+: 401(k) = $31,000/year (including $7,500 catch-up)
- Age 50+: IRA = $8,000/year (including $1,000 catch-up)
- Age 55+: HSA catch-up = $5,300/year
- Solo 401(k) if self-employed: up to $70,000/year
- Total maximum possible at 55+: $44,300+/year in tax-advantaged accounts
Working longer: the math most people ignore
Working 3–5 extra years does three things simultaneously: adds years of contributions, reduces years of withdrawal, and lets existing savings compound longer. Working until 67 vs 62 on a $300,000 portfolio can mean the difference between a comfortable retirement and a constrained one.
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