What to Do With $10,000 in Savings (2024)

FAQs

What to Do With $10,000 in Savings? ›

Using $10,000 in savings to invest or pay down debt is a financially savvy decision. A few of the best investment options include increasing your 401(k) contribution and opening an IRA or 529. Using your savings to make additional payments on your mortgage may make financial sense.

Those include things like rent or mortgage payments, utilities, healthcare expenses, and food. If your monthly essentials come to $2,500 a month, and you're comfortable with a four-month emergency fund, then you should be set with a $10,000 savings account balance.

In 2022, Americans reported saving an average of $5,011, with millennials reporting the greatest overall savings of $6,043. In fact, 54% of adults met or exceeded their 2022 savings goals, a recent Wealth Watch survey conducted by New York Life found.

In terms of median values, the 2019 figure of $5,300 is 10.65% higher than the 2016 median balance of $4,790. Transaction accounts provide account owners with immediate access to cash. They include savings, checking, money market, prepaid debit cards and call accounts.

Meanwhile, the number of those with savings between $1,000 and $5,000 stands at roughly 12%. Only 5% of Americans have savings accounts that range between $10,000 and $20,000.

Is $10000 considered a lot of money? ›

Although we have established that $10,000 is not really considered a lot of money, it is still a great financial milestone to be proud of in your life. That amount can give you more peace of mind and impact your finances well into the future.

Is $20,000 a Good Amount of Savings? Having $20,000 in a savings account is a good starting point if you want to create a sizable emergency fund. When the occasional rainy day comes along, you'll be financially prepared for it. Of course, $20,000 may only go so far if you find yourself in an extreme situation.

It's a good idea to keep a small sum of cash at home in case of an emergency. However, the bulk of your savings is better off in a savings account because of the deposit protections and interest-earning opportunities that financial institutions offer.

Savings accounts are a safe place to keep your money because all deposits made by consumers are guaranteed by the FDIC for bank accounts or the NCUA for credit union accounts. Certificates of deposit (CDs) issued by banks and credit unions also carry deposit insurance.

It could involve starting a new business, investing, real estate, or even a combination of side hustle ideas. It can take time to grow your investment, but you can still turn $10,000 into $100,000 if you're willing to put in the time and commit to the method you choose.

How much does the average 70-year-old have in savings? Just shy of $500,000, according to the Federal Reserve. The better question, however, may be whether that's enough for a 70-year-old to live on in retirement so that you can align your budget accordingly.

How much does the average 60 year old American have in savings? ›

Most Americans are not saving enough for retirement. According to the survey, only 14% of Americans have $100,000 or more saved in their retirement accounts. In fact, about 78% of Americans have $50,000 or less saved for retirement.

Based on data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the U.S. Census Bureau, it can be calculated that each American household carries an average of $7,951 in credit card debt. At the end of 2019, right before the coronavirus pandemic began, that average reached $7,499.

At least 53% of Americans admit they don't have an emergency fund, according to a recent poll conducted by CNBC and Momentive. That figure skyrockets to at least 74% for those with a household income below $50,000 per year.

GOBankingRates recently surveyed 1,000 Americans ages 18 and older to learn more about their banking practices and found that 32.9% have no more than $100 in their savings account. In a similar study conducted in 2022, 22% of Americans responded they had $100 or less in savings.

The general rule of thumb is to try to have one or two months' of living expenses in it at all times. Some experts recommend adding 30 percent to this number as an extra cushion.

The national average for retirement savings varies depending on age, but according to the Economic Policy Institute, the median retirement savings for all working age households in the US is around $95,776. This figure includes both employer-sponsored retirement accounts and individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

A Third of Americans Have Less Than $10K Saved

According to the survey, 36% have less than $10,000 saved.

The top 1 percent of earners have a median balance of $1.13 million across various types of banking and retirement savings accounts. When you look at the average account balance, that number is even higher: $2.5 million.

How much cash should I have in savings? ›

For savings, aim to keep three to six months' worth of expenses in a high-yield savings account, but note that any amount can be beneficial in a financial emergency. For checking, an ideal amount is generally one to two months' worth of living expenses plus a 30% buffer.

Currently, money market funds pay between 4.47% and 4.87% in interest. With that, you can earn between $447 to $487 in interest on $10,000 each year.

You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth. That's how financial advisors typically view wealth.

Most runners who are reasonably fit and clock 15–30 miles per week can expect to finish a 10K race in 50–70 minutes. More advanced runners will usually finish in 43–50 minutes.

Here is the median and average checking account balances in the US, for Americans who have checking accounts: Median: $2,900. Average (Mean): $9,132.

Savings account interest is taxed as income by the federal government. Interest earnings of more than $10 are reported to the IRS and to you by the bank or other institution where the money is deposited using a 1099-INT form.

How much should I have saved for retirement by age 60? We recommend that by the age of 60, you have about eight times your current salary saved for retirement. So, if you earn $75,000 a year, you would have between $525,000 to $600,000 in retirement savings by 60.

For those unfamiliar, it's a 10-day challenge, where you try to turn $10 into $10,000 by doubling your money each day. 100 percent of the previous day's winnings are then re-invested into the challenge.

What is a common mistake when saving? ›

Arguably the top savings account mistake is letting your money languish in an account with a paltry interest rate. All savings accounts earn interest, but some earn it at a much higher rate than others. If you're not keeping your money in a high-yield savings account, you're missing out on potential earnings.

Any money you have earmarked for emergencies, or for near-term goals, like buying a car or home, should be kept in a savings account. But if you have money you're trying to save for long-term goals, like retirement, then investing it could really be a far more lucrative choice.

A savings account is a nice, safe place to keep your money. But you won't see a lot of growth on your cash if you keep it in savings for years on end. That's because even during periods of higher interest rates, savings accounts just don't pay all that much.

Keep Cash to a Minimum

Danielle Miura, CFP, the founder and owner of Spark Financials, suggested, “You should keep enough money on hand to get you a couple of gallons of gas, pay for a delivery tip, or to help in unfortunate events,” or around $100-$200 at a time.

Certificates of Deposit

If you're prepared to stow away your savings for a set period of time in exchange for a greater interest rate, a certificate of deposit (CD) can be a better option than a traditional savings account.

By age 50, you would be considered on track if you have three to six times your preretirement gross income saved. And by age 60, you should have 5.5 to 11 times your salary saved in order to be considered on track for retirement.

Why are credit unions safer than banks? Like banks, which are federally insured by the FDIC, credit unions are insured by the NCUA, making them just as safe as banks. The National Credit Union Administration is a US government agency that regulates and supervises credit unions.

It doesn't make sense to take all your money out of a bank, said Jay Hatfield, CEO at Infrastructure Capital Advisors and portfolio manager of the InfraCap Equity Income ETF. But make sure your bank is insured by the FDIC, which most large banks are.

So, in short, yes, the IRS can legally take money from your bank account.

How many people have $10,000 dollars saved up? ›

According to the survey, 36% have less than $10,000 saved. Not far behind them is the 27% of Americans who have between $10,000 and $50,000 saved. Additionally, 15% have between $50,000 and $100,000 saved, and 9% have $100,00 to $200,000.

A cash deposit of more than $10,000 into your bank account requires special handling. The IRS requires banks and businesses to file Form 8300, the Currency Transaction Report, if they receive cash payments over $10,000. Depositing more than $10,000 will not result in immediate questioning from authorities, however.

Over the years, that money can really add up: If you kept that money in a retirement account over 30 years and earned that average 6% return, for example, your $10,000 would grow to more than $57,000.

The average American household had transaction accounts worth $41,600 in 2019. This is 2.3% lower than the average recorded in 2016. In terms of median values, the 2019 figure of $5,300 is 10.65% higher than the 2016 median balance of $4,790. Transaction accounts provide account owners with immediate access to cash.

Is $20,000 a Good Amount of Savings? Having $20,000 in a savings account is a good starting point if you want to create a sizable emergency fund. When the occasional rainy day comes along, you'll be financially prepared for it. Of course, $20,000 may only go so far if you find yourself in an extreme situation.

The short answer to this question is: Yes, a bank can ask you where you got your money from. This area of financial services is known as anti-money laundering, and is a requirement for all financial services companies, not just banks.

Thanks to the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions are required to report withdrawals of $10,000 or more to the federal government. Banks are also trained to look for customers who may be trying to skirt the $10,000 threshold. For example, a withdrawal of $9,999 is also suspicious.

Is 10K a Good Amount of Savings? Yes, 10K is a good amount of savings to have. The majority of Americans have significantly less than this in savings, so if you have managed to achieve this, it is a big accomplishment.