NewsNational News

Actions

Retirement accounts hold record balances

Posted at 6:07 PM, Jul 18, 2014
and last updated 2014-07-18 18:07:14-04

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The recent stock run-up is doing wonders for retirement savings.

The average balance in a Fidelity Individual Retirement Account (IRA) rose 15% on an annual basis in the second quarter to $92,600 — an all-time high.

In the same period, the average balance in a Fidelity 401(k) account also set a record, up nearly 13% annually to $91,000.

The mutual fund giant credited 77% of the gains to a surging stock market, and 23% to employee and employer contributions.

Fidelity said the balance for employees who have been in a workplace 401(k) for 10 years rose 15% a year over the past decade to $246,200.

But even that balance is probably not enough to retire on. Fidelity recommends saving eight times your yearly salary.

Even more sobering, a 2013 study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that nearly half of all workers had less than $10,000 saved.