Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTChristy BieberSat, June 6, 2026 at 6:30 PM GMT+2 5 min readThe average net worth for someone in their 50s in the United States is $1,364,050, while the median net worth is $180,227, according to Empower (1). The average is driven up by wealthy Americans, while the median reflects the fact that many people in their 50s are still far from rich.But what if you’re at the higher end of the scale?Must ReadRobert Kiyosaki says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year and begs investors not to miss this ‘explosion’Prime US real estate was a rich person's game — then something changed. Now everyday Americans are getting a piece of the action for as little as $100Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is goingSay that Joe is 56 and his wife, Anna, is 54, and they have $3 million invested. They also have two kids starting college, but are considering retiring when Joe turns 60 anyway. They want to know if that’s feasible given their investment balance. So, is leaving the workforce an option?How is the money invested?The specifics of how their money is invested matter a whole lot.If Joe and Anna have $3 million in 401(k) and brokerage accounts, that’s a very different scenario from having $1 million in brokerage accounts, a $1.5 million house, and $500,000 invested in a 529 for college.If the couple has $3 million in a retirement plan, their investments would provide them with an annual income of $120,000, assuming they follow the 4% rule. If they have $1 million in liquid investments, they’d have a $40K annual income.How much will the money grow?Joe and Anna still have four years for their money to grow, so compound growth will do more work for them. Joe and Anna can also keep contributing to their retirement accounts until 60.Because they’re both over 55, they can contribute not just the standard $24,500 401(k) contribution (2) (as of 2026) but also catch-up contributions totaling an extra $8,000 per year.If Joe and Anna have their entire $3 million invested, and they each contribute an extra $32,500 over the next four years, they’ll end up with around $3.88 million by the time Joe is 60, according to investment calculations (3). That would bring the available annual income from their investments to $155,200 at a safe withdrawal rate.Read More: BlackRock warns buying and holding the S&P 500 isn’t enough for retirement anymore — here's whyWhat’s the plan for college?Of course, the elephant in the room is the cost of college education for their children.The average cost of a four-year public school (4) for an in-state student was $11,950 in the 2025-26 school year, while the average cost of a private nonprofit four-year school was $45,000.Terms and Privacy PolicyPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info