4 ms·

I am curious on how a person can live in the USA for their whole lives for $3 - 5 million. Serious question.

maxerickson 7y ago
Cost of living a decent life in much of the country is ~$35000. And it will be decent for that price if you can just buy a good house and vehicle.
1998 7y ago
3,000,000 / 60 years of adulthood = 50,000 per year. Not a problem outside costal cities.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
selectodude 7y ago
5 million over 100 years is $50,000/yr. The median household income is just over $60,000. I think you'd do fine.
- hanniabu 7y ago
  As seen over the past few decades, $50k doesn't go as far as it used to, and I see no reason not to expect the same in the future compared to now. In 30 years $50k might be poverty level income.
  - selectodude 7y ago
    Sure but that ignores everything about compound interest. And most people don’t live too 100. Consider it reducto ad absurdum on my part.
  - boring_twenties 7y ago
    That's why you invest the $5m, not just keep it in cash.
lifeformed 7y ago
Really? $5M is $100k a year for 50 years. I can live comfortably off of $35k a year a long as I'm not in San Fransisco or something. With just $1M I could live indefinitely off investment income, which would be like $50k a year. Double those expenses to support a family, and you're still under budget.
- Red_Leaves_Flyy 7y ago
  $35k pre or post tax and what's your total tax rate?
  - lifeformed 7y ago
    Either one is fine. $35k post tax is super comfy and easy to do, while $35k pre-tax is a little trickier, and would be 15-20% tax rate depending on your state. Monthly budget of $1100 rent and utils, $300 food, $150 car, $60 entertainment, $300 misc, plus $150 for (bad) health insurance. That's $25k/year. Not exactly a comfortable lifestyle but a few hundred dollars extra in a few categories wouldn't dig into $5M much.
    - Red_Leaves_Flyy 7y ago
      Everyone's situation is different, but I wouldn't be so quick to assume yours is reflective of most. I take home 20k/30k, etr of 35%. Everything else seems pretty far under average, or in the case of rent, unrealistic. My prices are reflective of a high tax/cost of living city in the northeast. Just rent on a studio within a thirty minute drive averages $1k, only including trash, snow. Add $100 for basic cable internet. Double that car cost, 150 almost covers gas and insurance. Doesn't include paid parking. Some jobs and Some parts of the area can get public transport to workfor them, I can't. $60 is pretty low for a decent cell phone plan. Be more like 120 in reality. health cares an extra $800/mo (after insurance pays) if I were to follow my health care providers reccomendations.
sanderjd 7y ago
Well, the current poverty line for individuals is about $12k per year. Making that for about 80 years is about $1M in a lifetime. So the numbers quoted represent living at about 3x to 5x the poverty line on average. Or something like $35k-$70k per year, which seems doable with a fair amount of comfort (especially at the high end of that range) in most parts of the country.
lalaithion 7y ago
Invest 3 million in the stock market. A safe withdrawal rate (historically, you would never go bankrupt if you did this, so you could survive 2008 without even worrying) is 3.5% per year. 3.5% of 3 million is 105k. That puts you in the 87th percentile of Americans.
psb217 7y ago
Invest conservatively and pull out 2-3% per year. This should provide you with, conservatively, 50k-100k per year in post-tax cash (inflation adjusted) to spend as you like. Historically, you should be able to withdraw at this rate "indefinitely" with very low risk of zeroing out your funds.
ido 7y ago
don't live in San Francisco.

Cost of living a decent life in much of the country is ~$35000. And it will be decent for that price if you can just buy a good house and vehicle.

1998 7y ago

3,000,000 / 60 years of adulthood = 50,000 per year. Not a problem outside costal cities.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

selectodude 7y ago

5 million over 100 years is $50,000/yr. The median household income is just over $60,000. I think you'd do fine.

hanniabu 7y ago
As seen over the past few decades, $50k doesn't go as far as it used to, and I see no reason not to expect the same in the future compared to now. In 30 years $50k might be poverty level income.
- selectodude 7y ago
  Sure but that ignores everything about compound interest. And most people don’t live too 100. Consider it reducto ad absurdum on my part.
- boring_twenties 7y ago
  That's why you invest the $5m, not just keep it in cash.

lifeformed 7y ago

Really? $5M is $100k a year for 50 years. I can live comfortably off of $35k a year a long as I'm not in San Fransisco or something. With just $1M I could live indefinitely off investment income, which would be like $50k a year. Double those expenses to support a family, and you're still under budget.

Red_Leaves_Flyy 7y ago
$35k pre or post tax and what's your total tax rate?
- lifeformed 7y ago
  Either one is fine. $35k post tax is super comfy and easy to do, while $35k pre-tax is a little trickier, and would be 15-20% tax rate depending on your state. Monthly budget of $1100 rent and utils, $300 food, $150 car, $60 entertainment, $300 misc, plus $150 for (bad) health insurance. That's $25k/year. Not exactly a comfortable lifestyle but a few hundred dollars extra in a few categories wouldn't dig into $5M much.
  - Red_Leaves_Flyy 7y ago
    Everyone's situation is different, but I wouldn't be so quick to assume yours is reflective of most. I take home 20k/30k, etr of 35%. Everything else seems pretty far under average, or in the case of rent, unrealistic. My prices are reflective of a high tax/cost of living city in the northeast. Just rent on a studio within a thirty minute drive averages $1k, only including trash, snow. Add $100 for basic cable internet. Double that car cost, 150 almost covers gas and insurance. Doesn't include paid parking. Some jobs and Some parts of the area can get public transport to workfor them, I can't. $60 is pretty low for a decent cell phone plan. Be more like 120 in reality. health cares an extra $800/mo (after insurance pays) if I were to follow my health care providers reccomendations.

sanderjd 7y ago

Well, the current poverty line for individuals is about $12k per year. Making that for about 80 years is about $1M in a lifetime. So the numbers quoted represent living at about 3x to 5x the poverty line on average. Or something like $35k-$70k per year, which seems doable with a fair amount of comfort (especially at the high end of that range) in most parts of the country.

lalaithion 7y ago

Invest 3 million in the stock market. A safe withdrawal rate (historically, you would never go bankrupt if you did this, so you could survive 2008 without even worrying) is 3.5% per year. 3.5% of 3 million is 105k. That puts you in the 87th percentile of Americans.

psb217 7y ago

Invest conservatively and pull out 2-3% per year. This should provide you with, conservatively, 50k-100k per year in post-tax cash (inflation adjusted) to spend as you like. Historically, you should be able to withdraw at this rate "indefinitely" with very low risk of zeroing out your funds.

ido 7y ago

don't live in San Francisco.