What's Happening
23 minutes ago

CrowdStrike Just Completed a Stock Split. Is the Stock a Buy Now?

foolfool.com
59 minutes ago

This Unstoppable Tech ETF Is Down More Than 20%. Is It Time to Buy the Dip?

foolfool.com
1 hour ago

Elon Musk's SpaceX Just Joined the Nasdaq-100. Now What?

foolfool.com
2 hours ago

2 Beaten-Down Stocks That Still Aren't Worth Buying

foolfool.com
2 hours ago

Oil Is Below $76. So Why Is Bitcoin Still Below $65,000?

foolfool.com
3 hours ago

5 Top AI Stocks Investors Own on Robinhood

foolfool.com
3 hours ago

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Have Crushed the Broader Market in 2026. Here Are 2 Top Stocks to Buy Before They Soar Higher This Earnings Season...

foolfool.com
3 hours ago

What to Do if You're Behind on Retirement Savings at Age 60

foolfool.com
3 hours ago

What to Do if You’re Behind on Retirement Savings at Age 60

retireretire.ly
3 hours ago

The SEC Is Rethinking Its Approach to ETFs. Here's What It Could Mean For Crypto Investors

foolfool.com
3 hours ago

3 Stocks Worth Holding Through Any Market Condition

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

SK Hynix's Nasdaq Debut Just Became the Largest U.S. Listing by a Foreign Company

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

President Trump Delivers Massive News for all Stock Market Investors

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

5 Unstoppable Semiconductor Stocks You Can Buy Now in July (2026)

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

Could SpaceX Stock Make You a Millionaire?

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

Constellation Energy Is Helping Solve the AI Power Crunch. Here's Why You Shouldn't Hesitate to Buy It Right Now.

foolfool.com
4 hours ago

Nike's New Sponsorship Wins Hint at a Slow‑Burn Comeback in Brand Power and Profits

foolfool.com
5 hours ago

Coca-Cola Is Crushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100. But There's an Even Better Reason to Buy the Stock in July.

foolfool.com
5 hours ago

The New Villian in Tech

foolfool.com
5 hours ago

Archer Aviation Faces Growing Headwinds: Is It Time to Sell?

foolfool.com
5 hours ago

Picking the Winners of the Honeywell Breakup

foolfool.com
5 hours ago

This Nuclear Stock Is Down 30% This Year -- Here's 1 Reason It Could Be a Screaming Buy Right Now

foolfool.com
5 hours ago

The AI Trade Is Rotating From Chips to Infrastructure. 2 Stocks Riding the Shift.

foolfool.com
5 hours ago

After a Big Surge, Crude Prices Cashed the Most in Six Years in the Second Quarter. Here's Your Second Half Energy Stock Outlook.

foolfool.com
6 hours ago

Prediction: Apple Will Be Worth $5 Trillion (or More) by the End of 2026

foolfool.com
6 hours ago

If You Invest $5,000 in SCHD Today, Here's the Passive Income It Could Deliver in 20 Years

foolfool.com
6 hours ago

Chevron May Have Unlocked a Powerful New Growth Engine

foolfool.com
6 hours ago

Here's Why July 22 Could Be a Big Day for Warren Buffett's Successor, Greg Abel

foolfool.com
6 hours ago

Is the AI Data Center Boom Creating a Debt Bubble? Here's What Investors Need to Know.

foolfool.com
7 hours ago

Enterprise Products Partners Has Had 28 Consecutive Annual Dividend Increases. Does the Energy Stock Have Enough Fuel to Keep the Streak Going?

foolfool.com
7 hours ago

Bitcoin Dips Below $60,000 and History Points to What Comes Next

foolfool.com
7 hours ago

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Said AI's "Most Profound Impact Will Be in Life Sciences." Does This Bet on a Biotech Stock Prove He Means It?

foolfool.com
7 hours ago

Prediction: Taiwan Semiconductor's Stock Will Soar on July 17

foolfool.com
7 hours ago

Wall Street Is Bullish on SpaceX: Here Is What a $2,000 Investment Could Return

foolfool.com
7 hours ago

The Nuclear Energy Comeback Is Real. These 3 Energy Stocks Are the Best Ways to Play the Revival.

foolfool.com
7 hours ago

Cathie Wood Is Buying Coinbase and Circle Stock as the Sell-Off Ramps Up Ahead of the Clarity Act Vote. Here's the Bet.

foolfool.com
8 hours ago

What to Do With Your 401(k) If Retirement Is 3 Years Away

foolfool.com
8 hours ago

What to Do With Your 401(k) If Retirement Is 3 Years Away

retireretire.ly
8 hours ago

What $5,000 Invested in SpaceX Could Be Worth by 2030

foolfool.com
8 hours ago

Here's Why the VanEck Semiconductor ETF Soared in the First Half of 2026 (Hint: Diversification Works in Investing)

foolfool.com

What to Do if You’re Behind on Retirement Savings at Age 60

Key Points

By the time you turn 60, you may be starting to think about ending your career and embracing retirement. And with a solid IRA or 401(k) balance, that may be possible. But if you’re not happy with the amount you’ve saved by age 60, you may be less than optimistic about your retirement prospects.

That’s understandable. But it also doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker. Here are some steps you can take if you’re behind on retirement savings and aren’t sure you have so much time to catch up.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

A person at a desk.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Boost your savings rate as much as you can

At 60, you may be earning a higher paycheck than you were 10 or 20 years ago. Even if most of that paycheck is eaten up by ongoing expenses, a close examination of your spending may reveal that you have some wiggle room to cut back in key areas. Doing so could help you boost your savings rate substantially.

Remember, too, that if you’re 60 years old and have a 401(k), you can make a catch-up contribution of $11,250 instead of the standard $8,000 catch-up for people 50 and over. If you’re willing to make some bigger changes, like forgoing a vacation for a staycation, you may find that you’re able to boost your retirement savings nicely before your career ends.

2. Consider a later retirement date

Maybe your goal is to retire at 65, which is when Medicare eligibility begins. Or maybe you’re holding off until 67, when you can claim Social Security without a reduction if you’re 60 today.

If your savings aren’t as robust as you’d hoped and you don’t see yourself reaching your target number, one option is to work a bit longer than planned. If you’re able to extend your career by two or three years, that allows you to make a few more last-minute IRA or 401(k) contributions while giving your money a bit more time to grow.

Plus, if you retire later, you won’t need your savings to last as long. And if you’re able to delay your Social Security claim past full retirement age, you could lock in much larger monthly checks.

Each year you delay your Social Security claim past age 67 (full retirement age), your monthly checks increase by 8%. That incentive runs out once you turn 70, but if you can hold off on Social Security for even a single year past full retirement age, it could make a big difference in your finances.

3. Rethink what retirement looks like

You may have imagined retirement as a time to spend your days pursuing hobbies and traveling the globe. If your savings can’t support that lifestyle, you may need to get on board with a compromise.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to work another four or five or 10 years to get to the level of savings you want. Rather, you may need to be more flexible with your plans.

That could mean taking one trip per year in retirement instead of several, or limiting your travel to low-cost destinations or cities where you can stay with family and friends. It could also mean being willing to work part-time, whether at a steady job or through the gig economy.

Finding yourself behind on retirement savings at age 60 can be stressful and upsetting. But it doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a cash-strapped retirement. If you try your best to give your IRA or 401(k) a last-minute boost and tweak your plans, you may find that you’re able to enjoy your senior years despite not necessarily having met your ultimate savings goal.

The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook

If you’re like most Americans, you’re a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known “Social Security secrets” could help ensure a boost in your retirement income.

One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more… each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we’re all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these strategies.

View the “Social Security secrets” »

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Today's News
32 minutes ago

5 things to know as preliminary hearings wrap up in Charlie Kirk shooting case

thehillthehill.com
53 minutes ago

Dangerous Heat Could Affect Two-Thirds of Continental US

newsernewser.com
1 hour ago

America's Middle Generation Is Getting Smaller

newsernewser.com
1 hour ago

US Companies Move to Put Data Centers in Caribbean

newsernewser.com
2 hours ago

Israeli Settlers Detained Him in West Bank, Khanna Says

newsernewser.com
2 hours ago

Crypto bill faces make-or-break moment ahead of August recess

thehillthehill.com
2 hours ago

Man Accused of Living Illegally in National Forest for 8 Years

newsernewser.com
2 hours ago

Sunday shows preview: US-Iran tensions flare; Democrats grapple with Platner fallout

thehillthehill.com
2 hours ago

Austrian Sues His Government in Landmark Heat Case

newsernewser.com
3 hours ago

Trump rips Haberman, says she'll ‘pay the price’ over health reporting

thehillthehill.com
3 hours ago

State Drops Time Limit in Rape Cases With DNA

newsernewser.com
3 hours ago

Cost of Iran war grows, as Trump throws its end into question 

thehillthehill.com
3 hours ago

Behold, the Return of the 'Peanut Butter Floor'

newsernewser.com
4 hours ago

Russian Strikes Kill 6, Wound 29 as Ukraine Damages Oil Tankers

newsernewser.com
4 hours ago

Reflecting Pool drained again as issues plague Trump-backed renovation

thehillthehill.com
4 hours ago

Ro Khanna says he was detained by armed Israeli settlers in West Bank

thehillthehill.com
4 hours ago

Live updates: Trump escalates Iran tensions over death threat; Houston to probe ICE shooting

thehillthehill.com
5 hours ago

English soccer star Harry Kane confirms he golfed with Trump: 'Surreal experience'

thehillthehill.com
5 hours ago

Huckabee warns Iran not to ‘test’ Trump as tensions simmer

thehillthehill.com
5 hours ago

United States Retains Spot as World’s Top Oil Producer

theepochtimestheepochtimes.com
5 hours ago

Democrats and democratic socialists should unite for election victories 

thehillthehill.com
5 hours ago

Senate Democrat expands probe into Kennedy Center spending

thehillthehill.com
6 hours ago

America’s AI revolution could end in disaster

thehillthehill.com
6 hours ago

Justice Department subpoenas New York Times reporters over Air Force One reporting

nprnpr.org
6 hours ago

Carville unloads on far-left Democrats over party infighting ahead of midterms

thehillthehill.com
7 hours ago

Vulnerable Republicans embrace risky strategy of embracing an unpopular Trump

thehillthehill.com
8 hours ago

The biggest steam locomotive is whistle-stopping across the U.S.

nprnpr.org
9 hours ago

Take These Steps to Tame Your Taxes in Retirement

theepochtimestheepochtimes.com
11 hours ago

Most people who need glasses don't have them. Can the post office change that?

nprnpr.org
11 hours ago

Azar Nafisi on the movie adaptation of her memoir 'Reading Lolita in Tehran'

nprnpr.org
12 hours ago

Nearly Two-Thirds of Americans Willing to Pay More for Homes in Walkable Communities: NAR

theepochtimestheepochtimes.com
13 hours ago

Minnesota is pulling troops early from D.C., as pressure grows on Michigan

nprnpr.org
14 hours ago

Shy on the dance floor? Virtual reality 'partners' aim to help you find your groove

nprnpr.org
14 hours ago

With the white nationalist group Patriot Front, what you see is not what you get

nprnpr.org
16 hours ago

Spain edges Belgium and will face France in World Cup semifinal

nprnpr.org
16 hours ago

Trump threatens Iran after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral saw calls for his killing

nprnpr.org
17 hours ago

Trump administration rolls back a key protection for imperiled wildlife

nprnpr.org
19 hours ago

Key US Housing Affordability Bill Becomes Law Without Trump’s Signature

theepochtimestheepochtimes.com
21 hours ago

Apple Suing OpenAI, 2 Ex-Employees, for Allegedly Stealing Trade Secrets

theepochtimestheepochtimes.com
22 hours ago

Wall Street Review: Tech Stocks Regain Market Lead Amid Rising Oil Prices and Bond Yields

theepochtimestheepochtimes.com

Related Posts

If you’re three years away from retirement, you may be looking forward to that next stage of life. But it’s important to make sure you’re

Last year, Social Security celebrated its 90th anniversary, and the average monthly retired-worker benefit surpassed $2,000 for the first time. Making history is commonplace for

If you’re someone who gets a large chunk of your retirement income from Social Security, there may be a pretty big question on your mind:

We’re just a few months away from Social Security’s 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) announcement, which is a big deal if you rely on your benefits