11 Signs You're A Top 1% Retiree

If you're fortunate enough to retire with the net worth of the top 1% of baby boomers you would be happy enough, but retiring in the top 1% wealth bracket as a Gen Xer isn't too shabby either. While the youngest boomers in the 62 to 71 year old group make it into the retirement equation, the main cohort represented in the current or pre-retirement phase of life is Gen X, aged 46 to 61, who are staring at or already in retirement. For Gen Xers in this category, the signs of that net worth aren't necessarily visible to the naked eye. However, with the top 1% of income earners in the U.S., as per the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), holding 28.9% of the total wealth in the nation, it should come as no surprise that most of the evidence is hidden in retirement savings, asset allocation, estate planning, and spending ability. 

According to a study by Empower released in February 2026, the average net worth of Gen X as of January 2026, is between $1.3 million if you are in your 50s, and just over $1.5 million in your 60s.  

Calculations based on the 2022 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, courtesy of DQYDJ, point to recent retirees between 55 and 65 years old in the top 1% cohort having a net worth between $15.3 million and $22.1 million. As mentioned previously, a 2026 Empower study found that retirement age Americans in their 50s and 60s hold an average net worth between $1.3 million and just over $1.5 million as of January 2026. With retirees in the top 10% wealthiest cohort having an average net worth, as per the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances via Boldin, of $2.5 million to $3 million, this means Gen X retirees in the top 1% of wealth in the U.S. hold a net worth over 10 to 15 times the average retiree, and five to seven times that of retirees in the top 10%.

With an average net worth climbing into eight digit territory, it should shock no one that the most obvious of signs you have made it to the top 1% is revealed by the size of your bank account, investment portfolio, and savings.  

According to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the top 1% saw their wealth grow from $6.88 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2010 to an impressive $25.5 trillion by the fourth quarter of 2025. Some of that is savings. If you were thinking about how much money you need in your savings to retire rich and whether you were on track to doing that, looking at where you are at pre-retirement might be a fair indicator of your potential to do so. As per the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances via DQYDJ, retirees in the top 1% have already saved an average of $2.3 million (in IRAs, 401 (k) and 403 (b), and pensions) to just over $5 million (total financial assets minus trusts, insurance, and tangible assets like heirlooms and collectibles) by the time they're 50 years old. A major factor is how much the 1% save. According to Financial Samurai, the average savings rate for the 1% is 38%.

By comparison, the average retirement savings for Americans aged 50 to 54 years old is around $242,421 to $487,115, and as per the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the average personal savings rate in the U.S. as of March 2026 is 3.8%. While retirees in the top 1% of wealth have 10 times as much in their savings accounts and portfolios than the average 50-something, they also save at a rate 10 times higher.  

The top 1% of wealth holders in the U.S. all know the answer to the question, "Is there really any such thing as good debt?" According to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, wealthy Americans employ a strategy of "buy, borrow, die." In this scenario, the 1% will purchase appreciative assets like investment properties, stocks, or anything that tends to grow in value but would otherwise incur capital gains tax if sold. This is where the borrowing aspect kicks in; the one-percenter goes to their financial institution of choice and borrows against these assets in the form of loans or credit that they then use to continue funding their lavish lifestyles. Finally, before kicking the bucket, they set up a will or trust that allows them to pass their assets on to their heirs. This becomes one of several ways that millionaires avoid paying taxes without breaking the law. Neither local nor federal tax codes demand that capital gains must be paid on the appreciated value of the passed on assets, effectively negating the capital gains tax on those assets.

Simply put, there is a way to tell the difference between good and bad debt, and a telltale sign that you're a top 1% retiree you already know the difference and how to use that to your advantage. 

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), by the third quarter of 2025, the top 1% in the U.S. owned 6,409,385 properties. That represents 13.4% of all the real estate in the U.S., owned by the tiniest sliver of the population. Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of Americans in the same period held a 10% share of all real estate in the U.S. With the top 1% owning more property than the entire bottom 50%, it becomes obvious that the average one-percenter must own several properties. January 2026 FRED data also shows the total net worth of the top 1% in the U.S. grew to over $54 trillion in the third quarter of 2025, an amount a 2025 Redfin study concluded was almost as high as the total combined wealth of all homes in the U.S. In other words, the top 1% has enough purchasing power to own almost every home in the country. As per RentCafe, Gen X makes up the highest share (43%) of millionaire homeowners in the U.S. 

The Redfin study found real estate makes up an average 12.3% of the top 1%'s total net worth, and since the top 1% tend to buy homes with cash, they can also mitigate mortgage interest payments even as their properties appreciate in value. According to property management company Young Management, that represents an average appreciation of 3-5% per year.  

The cost of medical procedures is rising faster than inflation, placing the average boomer in the precarious position of choosing between basic living costs and essential healthcare aging populations are struggling to afford. The private healthcare system in the U.S. creates different tiers of care based on household income, with the top 1% coming out on top. According to an October 2025 report from the National Council on Aging, between 2018 and 2022 they found that older Americans in the top 20% of wealth lived, on average, nine years longer than older Americans in the bottom 20%, with mortality rates almost half that of the bottom 60% of older Americans. The ability to age in place due to access to affordable access to homecare and the high cost of long-term care homes. The report concluded that the inequities in healthcare are only likely to widen for the 80% of older Americans with the misfortune of not being in the top 20% (much less the top 1%).

According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College Health and Retirement Study, between 2018 and 2022, the cost of healthcare left the median group of older Americans with 71% of their benefits after premium payments and out-of-pocket expenses. While the median amount spent on healthcare was $5,444, spending in the top 5% was more than double that at $13,423. With better health outcomes as evidence, the top 1% get what they pay for.

The top 1% don't rely on Social Security as much as the average retiree, although that is a steady stream of income. The wealthiest retirees know all about the advantages of having multiple streams of income and aren't afraid to employ them. Rental income from investment properties, investment portfolios that allow for tax-free withdrawals (Roth IRAs) and pay out dividends from stock investments, the ownership of one or more businesses, post-retirement consultation, and then, Social Security. So not only does the top 1% of retirees have more money saved than the average retiree, they also have more than one way to keep getting paid into retirement, including Social Security.

According to an August 2025 report by Congress.gov, in 2019, Social Security accounted for almost 30% of income for Americans 65 years and older. That was even greeted for the bottom 20%, for whom Social Security accounted for as much as 83% of household income. As you can imagine, for the top 20%, this benefit accounted for just 12%, and while there's no data presented for the top 1%, there's little reason to believe that percentage wouldn't drop considerably. 

Disposable income offers retirees in the top 1% the opportunity to let their inner travel bug run wild. Oftentimes, that travel is on a different level according to Haute Retreats, which points to direct flights to destinations that include intuitive personnel who are ready to accommodate their every need, large private space (usually a personal villa with secure access), and personalized itineraries and menus. That makes locations like Villa Wake Up in St. Barts for $15,642 per night and Villa Giulia in the Amalfi Coast for $5,000 per night, the sort of location the top 1% of retirees will spend their vacation time. The amenities for Villa Wake Up include personal chefs, villa managers, maids, and a personal spa, while the latter, switches out the spa with a whirlpool but also includes service staff and the benefit of a luxurious infinity pool and incredible views.

Aside from vacation travel, many wealthy Americans are choosing to retire abroad, according to InvestmentNews, for tax purposes, and increasingly, political, socioeconomic, and financial security. They view locations like New Zealand, where the purchase of land is seen as a real asset in a country with a history of stable governance, as safe alternatives to the U.S. Basically, the top 1% are taking the principle of diversification into their retirement living strategies, exploring the best countries to retire abroad based on what has value to them.  

The top 1% know that when your wealth reaches a certain point, it's time to update your estate plans. Estate planning is just part of how the wealthiest Americans plan their retirement, and according to a 2024 study by FirstCitizensBank, they anticipate passing on at least $5.5 million to their heirs. Even though 44% of wealthy seniors say they've thought about estate planning but haven't yet done so, 94% of wealthy seniors do plan to pass on their wealth. While most are looking to retire in their 60s, remember that the top 1% have an average net worth, as per the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances via DQYDJ, of $17.8 million by their early 60s. As 89% of wealthy retirees give credit to the guidance of their wealth managers for helping to grow their net worth, it's reasonable to assume that, at some point, they'll be pointed in that direction.

Revocable trusts that you can cancel anytime, irrevocable trusts that require the individual to release control but are protected from taxation, or the passing on of estates, the wealthiest retirees tend to at least consider these strategies before retirement. Where the latter is concerned, thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), the 2026 lifetime estate tax exemption offers major tax breaks for estates up to $15 million for individuals and $30 million for married couples. This is just another of a few tax breaks the Wealthiest Americans have in common. 

According to a 2025 Bank of America study on philanthropy, high net worth households donated an average of $33,219 to charitable causes, representing 81% of wealthy households. The study found that 68% of America's wealthiest households are motivated by political, religious, or philosophical reasons. That said, as per the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), any donation to a nonprofit organization related to education, child or animal advocacy, science, the arts, or religion, lodge associations, hospitals, or organizations related to veterans is tax refundable. You can also donate property and stocks, and receive refunds for them. According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the average donor is right in their retirement years (64 years old), and tends to make donations twice a year.

Thanks to Donor-Advised Funds (DAF), the top 1% retiree doesn't have to figure out what to donate, or have to wait very long for their tax refund for doing so. A DAF contribution of stock, cash, or other assets allows the 1% to recommend grants to charitable organizations from the fund, which then become immediately tax deductible. In 2024, as per the National Philanthropic Trust, Donor-Advised Funds were the vehicle used to disseminate $64.9 billion in grants to charitable organizations. 

The top 1% can leverage art as an investment in much the same way investing in gold can help protect your wealth during inflationary periods. According to MyArtBroker, art's ability to hold its value during volatile economic conditions makes it a smart way to diversify their investments. As an overall reliable investment vehicle relatively unaffected by stock market fluctuations, it also happens to be the perfect legacy building vehicle for the passing on of artwork to an heir. There are also some serious bragging rights to owning a particular piece of blue chip art, and the top 1% of retirees aren't immune to the stroking of their egos.

According to a 2025 survey conducted by Art Basel and UBS, the percentage of wealth spent on the acquisition of art by collectors rose to 20% from 15% the year prior. The wealthiest collectors spent even more, 28% of their wealth, in line with the growth of their net worth. According to their survey, 40% of high net worth individuals planned on buying more art within the year, with 25% planning on donating some of their artwork. According to the 2026 Art Basel and UBS report, art sales were a $26 billion market in 2025, with the amount of art selling at auction for $10 million or more rising by 40%. As such, owning fine art is one of several signs that you're wealthier than the average retiree. 

While, according to Dan Martell, the average investor begins their investment journey before having the ability to create extra money or leverage their investment decisions, the top 1% of investors, including retirees, invest first in their well-being, knowledge base, and businesses. Once they get into the actual business of investing, it gets even more difficult. Property, stocks, and index funds aren't viewed as wealth building so much as the foundation for building wealth. Buying and holding with minimal emotion allows for the all important compounding of wealth. Emotion, as per Investing.com, leads to panic during periods of volatility. Once they build wealth, they don't allow it all to sit around in a bank account not doing anything for them. Instead, this is deployed by attaining more appreciative assets, some of which, like art or property, can be leveraged as collateral for loans as opposed to selling them outright — as explained a few slides back, they have strategies that allow them to never pay these loans back.

The wealthy in the U.S., as per GoBankingRates, appear to have an interest in sustainability. Sustainable, organic, and regenerative farming has caught the attention of no less than Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon; at 62 years old, Bezos also happens to be the perfect example of a Gen X top 1% retiree.