Quiz: What's Your Retirement IQ?

AARP

En español

Published March 07, 2017

9 Questions

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A new survey by Fidelity Investments finds that many workers underestimate how much they need to save and overestimate how much they can safely withdraw each year from their nest eggs during retirement. Pre-retirees ages 55 to 65 were more likely to correctly answer questions than younger groups, but a significant number of them still held misconceptions that could lead to financial problems later. Take Fidelity’s Retirement IQ quiz below and see which financial areas you may need to brush up on. “It’s never too late,” says Fidelity’s Keith Bernhardt.

Quiz: What's Your Retirement IQ?

[ {
  "question" : "About how much of your annual income should you save to maintain your standard of living in retirement?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "3 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "6 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "9 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "12 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "15 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The 15 percent savings target includes employer-matching contributions to a 401(k) or other plan.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Roughly how much do financial advisers suggest you should have saved by the time you retire?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "2 to 3 times your income for your last full year of working.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "4 to 5 times your income for your last full year of working.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "6 to 7 times your income for your last full year of working.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "8 to 9 times your income for your last full year of working.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "10 to 12 times your income for your last full year of working.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Fidelity found that nearly three-quarters of people surveyed underestimated the amount they would need.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "How many years in the past 35 has the stock market posted a gain?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Less than 12",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "About 12",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "About 18",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "About 26",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "More than 26",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The stock market rose 30 out of the past 35 years, with an historical average return of 7 percent annually.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "If you invested $50 a month, about how much would you have after 25 years of earning interest at a rate of the average historical stock market return?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "$15,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$30,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$40,000",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "$50,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "More than $60,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Fifty dollars a month for 25 years adds up to $15,000. But with interest compounding annually at 7 percent, the total grows to $40,000.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Given today’s average life expectancy, how long would you need your nest egg to last if you retire at 65?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "12 years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "17 years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "22 years",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "27 years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "35 years",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "But, according to Fidelity, those attaining age 65 will have a 25 percent chance of reaching 92, so many will need a nest egg that lasts more than 22 years.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Roughly, what was the average monthly Social Security retirement benefit in 2020?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "$500",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$900",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$1,500",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "$1,700",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$2,100",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "This is an average, and you may be able to increase your benefit by delaying Social Security until your full retirement age (65 to 67) or – for an extra boost – until age 70.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "How much do many financial experts say you can withdraw from your savings annually to reduce the risk of running out of money in retirement?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "1 to 3 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "4 to 6 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "7 to 9 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "10 to 12 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "13 to 15 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Fidelity recommends withdrawing 4 to 5 percent of your initial retirement assets, adjusting the dollar figure each year for inflation. (Taking out 10 to 12 percent annually could deplete your savings within a decade.)",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which is the biggest expense for most retirees?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Housing",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Health care",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Taxes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Food",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Discretionary expenses",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Housing can make up nearly half of all expenses in retirement.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "How much will a couple retiring at age 65 spend out-of-pocket on health care during retirement?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "$50,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$100,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$170,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$285,000",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "$350,000",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The $285,000 figure, which includes Medicare premiums, has been increasing, partly because of a rapid increase in drug costs.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

Quiz Progress

0 Correct

0 Incorrect