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Key Takeaways
- For people in their 60s, retirement accounts typically hold more than $300,000 in stocks on average—but the median balance is closer to about $100,000.
- Taxable brokerage accounts vary widely, but industry data show engaged near-retirees often hold low- to mid-six-figure balances.
As retirement nears, many wonder if their investment portfolios will provide the income they’ll need. For most Americans, the bulk of these investments is in qualified retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs. Indeed, while more than 80% of Americans in their 60s are invested in retirement plans, only about 35% have brokerage accounts.
That leaves us to wonder: How much is the average stock portfolio for people in their 60s?
What the Data Tells Us
While only a minority of Americans in their 60s hold taxable brokerage accounts, those who do often have meaningful balances outside their 401(k)s and IRAs. The Federal Reserve reports that for households ages 55–64, the median balance of directly held stocks is about $30,000, and the median balance of pooled investment funds held outside retirement accounts is about $300,000. For ages 65–74, those medians land at about $65,000 and $250,000, respectively. Together, they suggest a typical taxable portfolio for older investors falls in the low- to mid-six figures.
Industry data tell a similar story at the upper end of the spectrum. In Charles Schwab’s latest Self-Directed Brokerage Account Indicators report, self-directed brokerage windows inside workplace retirement plans averaged about $362,000 overall in the second quarter of 2025.
Baby Boomers (ages 61 to 79 in 2025) held the largest balances, averaging about $599,000, while the Gen X investors (whose oldest members started reaching 60 this year) averaged about $379,000. These figures skew toward more engaged investors but offer a realistic upper-end benchmark.
Retirement Account Balances
You can also get a sense of where you stand by looking at what’s typical for defined-contribution retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs at Vanguard:
| Defined Contribution Plan Balances by Age Group | ||
|---|---|---|
| Age Group | Average | Median |
| 55-64 | $271,320 | $95,642 |
| 65+ | $299,442 | $95,425 |
Average vs. Median
Note that the averages are quite a bit higher than the medians (i.e., the 50% midpoint). This is because a small number of very large accounts will skew the average upward. For most Americans, the median is a better number to use.
IRAs
Fidelity also reports average IRA balances, and it is not uncommon to have both a 401(k) from work and also contribute individually to a traditional or Roth IRA. The average in Fidelity accounts for Baby Boomers is $257,000 in 2025.
If the median is one-third that amount, as it is for 401(k) balances reported by Vanguard, then we can reasonably estimate that average retirement savings for those in their 60s is about $500,000 to $550,000, with a median of around $180,000.
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How Much of These Balances Are in Stocks?
Vanguard’s data tell us that 64% of 401(k) assets held by Americans 55 to 64 are held in stocks, but that drops to 50% for those 65 and over, which is unsurprising as risk tolerances decline with age.
If we assume that about 60% of a typical 60-something’s retirement portfolio is in stocks—which is in line with many target-date funds for this age group—that implies an average stock balance of around $300,000 and a median stock balance of a little over $100,000 in retirement accounts.
Tip
A reminder that a 401 (k) or IRA is designed for long-term retirement savings, and most people only access the money decades later because withdrawals are restricted and often taxed or penalized. A brokerage account works very differently: it’s a flexible, taxable account people use for regular investing, trading individual stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or building a portfolio they can tap at any time. In all these accounts, you might own stocks, even if indirectly through mutual funds or ETFs.
Brokerage Account Holdings
While only about a third (36%) or so of Americans in their 60s have a brokerage account, fewer (29%) report owning stocks. While that’s a minority of those who are invested in a retirement plan, it is worth investigating the value of these stockholdings.
The Federal Reserve provides average figures, but they can be pretty misleading, as there are a few extraordinarily large accounts (the largest in the data have over $1 billion in holdings). But if we cut out the outliers at the 1% and 99% part of the range, we get a more realistic picture of Americans in their 60s:
- Average stock value in brokerage accounts: $5,400,000 (adjusted from the Fed’s 2022 figures to 2025 using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s inflation figures)
- Median stock value in brokerage accounts: $535,000
What To Ask Yourself Now
Benchmarks like the averages and medians reported above are useful, but they’re not a pass/fail test. To assess your own portfolio, here are some helpful tips:
- Look at your savings multiple: Experts generally recommend having eight times your annual gross income saved up by 60, building toward about 10 times by 67 (adjusted up or down for your lifestyle and retirement age).
- Review your savings vs. income needs. A common guideline is to aim for about 25 times your expected annual retirement spending (a 4% withdrawal rate), although some experts have revised this recommendation upward.
- See if your contribution rate is enough: Experts suggest putting aside 15% to 20% of your income, including your employer match.
- Check your stock allocation: Holding 50% to 60% in stocks in your early 60s (and gradually reducing into your 70s) generally aligns with standard advice, but the “right” number depends on your risk tolerance, health, and other income.
- Consider all your assets: Include IRAs, old 401(k)s, pensions, brokerage and bank accounts, Social Security estimates, HSA balances, and home equity—not just your employer’s plan.