I’m 42 and single – I’ve been able to save over $3 million for retirement but now I’m struggling to find motivation
Christy Bieber
Tue, January 13, 2026 at 12:22 PM EST
4 min read
In this article:
Key Points
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A 42-year-old with $3M saved could generate $111K annually at a 3.9% withdrawal rate.
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His portfolio could grow to $6.43M by age 50 without additional contributions at 10% annual returns.
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He has enough saved to shift to part-time or lower-stress work while maintaining financial independence.
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A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ retirement savings and moved retirement from dream, to reality. Read more here.
A 42-year-old Reddit user with over $3 million saved is struggling to find the motivation to keep working.
According to a recent post he made, he's burned out at his job, hasn't taken more than a few week's vacation for the last 20 years, and is considering trying to find a partner and have kids but isn't sure if that's the right path or how doing so could affect his finances.
So, how can the Redditor decide on his best path forward and make the most of the money he's saved so far to begin enjoying life?
A $3 million nest egg is a good start to a secure future -- and it provides financial flexibility
With $3 million invested at 42, the Redditor is clearly already on the path to financial security. At a safe 3.9% withdrawal rate, his investment account would already produce $111k in annual income per year.
Now, if he lives in a high-cost-of-living area or is planning to settle down and have kids, an annual income of $111K probably isn't enough to stop working entirely. Since he's saved a lot of money at a young age, he's likely earning much more than that now and may not want to absorb a big cut in income -- especially since retiring at 42 would mean he'd have decades of health insurance to pay for before becoming eligible for Medicare.
However, having $3 million invested does mean he can stop working so hard at his career. His $3 million could grow on its own to over $6.43 million in eight years, assuming a 10% average annual return, even if he never invested another dollar. That would be enough to provide him with $237,910 in annual income if he retired at the very young age of 50.
Given that he doesn't need to be so aggressive in saving, he could explore options for going part-time now, changing to a less stressful job, or doing some consulting work instead of working full-time for his current employer.
As long as he makes enough to cover his current income needs and leaves his money to keep growing, he'd still be on the path to complete financial independence at an age much younger than most.
Cutting back on work could help with his burnout, give him the opportunity to focus on finding a partner and having a family, and help him stick it out at his job for long enough that he can retire without any financial worries.
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Talking to a financial advisor could be helpful
Talking to a financial advisor could be a good move for the Redditor as he figures out his next move. A financial advisor could provide insight into how much he needs to save for a comfortable future, could help him decide when he can stop working with the money he needs, and can help him figure out the minimum income that he needs to earn to keep his wealth growing while cutting back to a less stressful position.
Since the Redditor has a very good start toward financial independence, getting some professional advice could help him to ensure that the money moves he makes now help him keep growing his wealth and allow him to enjoy life-- especially if he follows through with his plan to find a partner and become a dad, which could bring changes to his financial situation that he'll want to prepare for.
Data Shows One Habit Doubles American’s Savings And Boosts Retirement
Most Americans drastically underestimate how much they need to retire and overestimate how prepared they are. But data shows that people with one habit have more than double the savings of those who don’t.
And no, it’s got nothing to do with increasing your income, savings, clipping coupons, or even cutting back on your lifestyle. It’s much more straightforward (and powerful) than any of that. Frankly, it’s shocking more people don’t adopt the habit given how easy it is.
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