$2 Million Is ‘Pennies in Today’s World’ Says Finance Guru Suze Orman — But Can You Guess How Many Actually Retire With That Kind of Nest Egg?

You don’t need magic or a million. You need momentum. Here are some smarter strategies that can actually help:

Fidelity really recommends saving 15% of your income, including employer contributions. If you’re starting at age 30, the goal bumps to 18% annually, and if you’re starting at 35, it goes up to 23% per year. This is based on Fidelity’s model that assumes you’re saving consistently from your starting age until about age 67, aiming to fund a retirement income that covers roughly 45% of your pre-retirement earnings

Whether it’s $5 a week or 1% more per year, put savings on autopilot. Apps that round up purchases can help. Having a small emergency fund—even $2,000—can lower your chances of raiding your 401(k) in a pinch.

A healthy nest egg isn’t built on stocks alone. You can spread risk (and opportunity) with Treasury bonds, high-yield savings, CDs, or even a side hustle that brings in steady cash.

For those looking beyond the usual suspects, real estate is another powerful lever. You don’t need to buy a duplex or manage tenants yourself—platforms like Arrived let you buy into rental properties with as little as $100, making it possible to earn passive income without the landlord headaches.

Build a short-term stash for emergencies, a mid-term bond ladder for income, and a long-term stock portfolio for growth. This layered approach can help you sleep at night when markets wobble.

You don’t need to be a millionaire to talk to a financial advisor—despite what the internet might have you believe. Plenty of advisors work with everyday earners, and some even offer flat fees or hourly rates. Think of it less like luxury and more like strategy. They can help you build a real plan, keep emotions in check during market dips, and make sure your nest egg isn’t quietly leaking.

When you hit age 50, the IRS opens a valuable window: you can go beyond regular contribution limits to accelerate retirement savings. In 2025, the standard 401(k) deferral limit is $23,500, plus a catch-up boost of $7,500—bringing the total to $31,000 for most.

Then there’s the game-changing part: if you turn 60, 61, 62, or 63 during the tax year, the Secure 2.0 Act lets you ramp that catch-up to $11,250 if your plan allows. That raises your total permitted retirement contribution to $34,750.

Married millennials without kids — ages 27 to 42 — are quietly crushing the savings game. According to U.S. Census data crunched by Business Insider, these dual-income, no-kid households average $71,886 in retirement savings. That’s nearly $25,000 more than their parenting peers, who sit at $48,408. Less daycare, more 401(k).

You don’t need to skip lattes—just stop overpaying. Downgrade phone plans. Audit subscriptions. Compare insurance rates. These boring little steps stack up fast when funneled into a Roth IRA.

Maybe you’ll never save $2 million. Maybe you already did. Maybe you don’t even want that much. But this isn’t a game of hitting a number—it’s about building security and freedom in a way that actually works for your life.

Suze Orman might call two million “pennies,” but when it comes to retirement, the real value lies in strategy—not slogans.

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This article $2 Million Is ‘Pennies in Today’s World’ Says Finance Guru Suze Orman — But Can You Guess How Many Actually Retire With That Kind of Nest Egg? originally appeared on Benzinga.com