Land a dream job at 29. Purchase your first house at 30. Earn six figures by 35.
Reasonable or not, these are the ages Individuals ascribe to a few of life’s monetary milestones, in line with a brand new survey from Empower, the retirement companies supplier.
Empower requested roughly 1,000 Individuals to set goal ages for six life milestones: retirement saving, touchdown a dream job, incomes six figures, shopping for a house, changing into debt-free, and retiring.
The findings, printed in August, are tinged with remorse. Practically half of respondents mentioned they want they’d began saving sooner. Practically one quarter mentioned they felt behind in reaching cash milestones. Many respondents mentioned there’s no set timeline for reaching huge monetary objectives.
And a few dates on the timeline appear extra dream than actuality. Purchase a primary house at 30? Lately, the common first-time purchaser is pushing 40.
USA TODAY requested a number of consultants to touch upon the six milestones within the survey. Right here’s what they mentioned.
Age to begin saving for retirement: 27
Should you begin saving for retirement any time in your 20s, retirement planners say, you’re doing nice.
“I didn’t personally begin till I used to be 29,” mentioned Andrew Herzog, a licensed monetary planner in Plano, Texas. “Now, that’s completely one in all my regrets.”
In an ideal world, nonetheless, 27 is likely to be a tad late to begin saving for retirement.
“Particularly when you’re getting into the workforce at 16, 17, 18, you’re depriving your self of 10 years of saving,” mentioned Catherine Collinson, CEO of the Transamerica Middle for Retirement Research.
The excellent news, Collinson mentioned, is that youthful Individuals are saving for retirement early. Transamerica analysis exhibits the standard Gen Z employee began saving at 20. Millennials began at 26, Gen X at 30, boomers at 35.
And why wait until 20?
“I’m an enormous believer in making an attempt to get your youngsters arrange for retirement once they’re youngsters,” mentioned Catherine Valega, a licensed monetary planner in Winchester, Massachusetts.
Age to land your dream job: 29
The typical American modifications jobs a dozen occasions between ages 18 and 56, in line with a Labor Division report on boomer employees.
That knowledge level suggests that the majority of us don’t discover a dream job by 29: If we did, presumably, we’d keep put.
“Dream jobs don’t expire at 29,” mentioned Randy Bruns, a licensed monetary planner in Naperville, Illinois.
“Placing a deadline on one thing so private dangers discouraging the very people who find themselves nonetheless on their manner,” he mentioned. “Think about somebody telling Colonel Sanders he ought to’ve had all of it found out by age 29. He did not begin serving fried rooster till he was 40.”
Age to purchase your first house: 30
First-time house consumers are getting older. The typical first-time purchaser was 38 in 2024. That’s the best age the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors has ever recorded.
Dwelling costs have spiked dramatically since 2020. Mortgage charges have risen, as nicely, making houses much less reasonably priced to first-time consumers.
“It’s nonetheless doable to purchase your first house by 30, nevertheless it’s a lot more durable now than it was for earlier generations,” mentioned Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.
Shopping for a house by 30 was once a practical purpose. The typical first-time purchaser was 30 in 2010 and 33 in 2020, in line with the Realtors affiliation.
At this time, nonetheless, many younger consumers are priced out.
“Some are making it work by getting assist from household, choosing a apartment as an alternative of a home, or selecting to stay in a neighborhood that’s reasonably priced on their revenue,” Fairweather mentioned. “So, it’s nonetheless doable, nevertheless it takes plenty of planning and sometimes help from mates or household.”
Age to earn six figures: 35
Many Individuals won’t ever earn a six-figure revenue. The typical full-time American employee earned about $1,200 every week within the second quarter of 2025, or about $62,500 a 12 months, in line with federal knowledge.
For some employees, a six-figure revenue is a practical hope. Folks with doctoral or skilled levels earn greater than $100,000 a 12 months in median pay, in line with a NerdWallet evaluation. And revenue tends to rise with age, peaking round 50.
Even so, reaching a six-figure wage by your mid-30s “appears extra aspirational than reasonable for many jobs,” mentioned Lonnie Golden, an economist at Penn State College’s Abington campus.
Age to develop into debt-free: 41
There are completely different sorts of debt, and never all are dangerous.
A monetary adviser may frown on a $10,000 bank card stability with a 20% rate of interest. However a home-owner who nabbed a 3% mortgage within the low-interest years may nonetheless be bragging about it to the neighbors.
“Debt can serve objective, relying on its use,” Herzog mentioned. “Should you can strategically use your debt, there’s no downside with carrying it.”
Monetary planners sometimes urge customers to work on decreasing “dangerous” debt, particularly bank card debt.
A mortgage, against this, can perform as an enormous piggy financial institution, together with your fairness rising each time you make a fee.
“Some folks prioritize paying down debt over different objectives for psychological causes, and that’s truthful — it doesn’t really feel good to have an enormous quantity hanging over your head,” mentioned Sam Taube, lead investing author at NerdWallet. “Mathematically talking, nonetheless, prioritizing debt over all else might not all the time be the optimum technique.”
Age to retire: 58
Retirement plans can change over time. Youthful Individuals typically aspire to retire earlier. Older Individuals plan to retire later. Based on a 2025 Schwab survey, the common Gen Zer expects to retire at 62, whereas the common Gen Xer plans to attend till 66.
“The fact is, as folks grow old, they notice how a lot they should save,” mentioned Collinson of Transamerica.
By most measures, retirement consultants mentioned, 58 is just a little early to pack it in.
“To retire at 58, you’d want thousands and thousands of {dollars} in a brokerage account, or very low dwelling bills in retirement,” mentioned Taube of NerdWallet. “Presumably each.”
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