Goldman Sachs: 40% of $400-500K and $500K+ households “live paycheck to paycheck”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

Similar. We'd live paycheck to paycheck, no matter how much we make, because my spouse is an overspender and would be at any income level. Instead of one country club and house, we'd have five. I max out 401k, 529 plans ($19k per kid per year), and put over $50k per year into my brokerage account; spouse can't access any of those accounts. We are effectively broke in our joint checking account at the end of most months.

Be careful. With an over spender you need to have joint accounts for everything or you’re just kicking the can down the road until retirement to face the music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

Similar. We'd live paycheck to paycheck, no matter how much we make, because my spouse is an overspender and would be at any income level. Instead of one country club and house, we'd have five. I max out 401k, 529 plans ($19k per kid per year), and put over $50k per year into my brokerage account; spouse can't access any of those accounts. We are effectively broke in our joint checking account at the end of most months.

Be careful. With an over spender you need to have joint accounts for everything or you’re just kicking the can down the road until retirement to face the music.

Nice thought, but if we had joint accounts my kids wouldn't be able to go to college and we'd have no savings. In retirement, unless we divorce, the only access my overspending spouse will have to money is their Social Security. I also monitor their credit and if that becomes an issue I'm out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

Similar. We'd live paycheck to paycheck, no matter how much we make, because my spouse is an overspender and would be at any income level. Instead of one country club and house, we'd have five. I max out 401k, 529 plans ($19k per kid per year), and put over $50k per year into my brokerage account; spouse can't access any of those accounts. We are effectively broke in our joint checking account at the end of most months.

Be careful. With an over spender you need to have joint accounts for everything or you’re just kicking the can down the road until retirement to face the music.

Nice thought, but if we had joint accounts my kids wouldn't be able to go to college and we'd have no savings. In retirement, unless we divorce, the only access my overspending spouse will have to money is their Social Security. I also monitor their credit and if that becomes an issue I'm out.

Have you had a come to Jesus moment with your spouse? Because if you haven't given them warning, divorce seems rather extreme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

That is not paycheck to paycheck. wtf? Are people this ridiculous for real?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

Similar. We'd live paycheck to paycheck, no matter how much we make, because my spouse is an overspender and would be at any income level. Instead of one country club and house, we'd have five. I max out 401k, 529 plans ($19k per kid per year), and put over $50k per year into my brokerage account; spouse can't access any of those accounts. We are effectively broke in our joint checking account at the end of most months.

Be careful. With an over spender you need to have joint accounts for everything or you’re just kicking the can down the road until retirement to face the music.

Nice thought, but if we had joint accounts my kids wouldn't be able to go to college and we'd have no savings. In retirement, unless we divorce, the only access my overspending spouse will have to money is their Social Security. I also monitor their credit and if that becomes an issue I'm out.

Have you had a come to Jesus moment with your spouse? Because if you haven't given them warning, divorce seems rather extreme.

So many! Divorce isnt part of the plan rights now. Only brought it up because its the only way they’d get access to what I’ve saved (otherwise they would spend it all within months). They’ll either never retire or be limited to Social Security income when they’re old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s hard to know what is accurate in this area. High end shops here seem filled with buyers. Are there that many wealthy people, or are people throwing money away that they can’t afford? I assume both.

What kind of high end shops are you talking about?

I’m specifically talking about the 20-30 minutes waits to get help at Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton I experienced on Saturday. Lots of men and women walking out with big bags. Mostly young people in the line.

The people I see at these shops don’t look like they make $400K. They’re buying $4000 bags but wearing spandex and pushing junky strollers.

They don't make 400k. So what? Why the desperate need to make a comment about "spandex and pushing junky strollers"? We see you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We make about $450k. We max out most deductions, have a $4,800 mortgage payment, no daycare or debt and we pay cash for cars and vacations, and I can not fathom paying for a nanny, dual private, country club, and cleaning. When college comes we have savings. No quarterly tax payments (we're regular employees).

Yup exactly this middle class lifestyle

4800 mortgage is not Mc.

It is.

[Anonymous]

In the article, these are the definitions they used:

- Primarily live paycheck to paycheck: I find it tough to make progress on any long-term financial goals
- Moderately improve each year: I am able to make some saving progress each year
- Considerably better: I am able to make progress on both short-term and long-term financial goals

So, not sure of the accuracy of people's responses, but I would think someone who has little extra left over after maxing out 401k, HSA, college savings, brokerage, etc. would say they are making progress on their short- and long-term goals.

Interestingly, those who make 200-300k had the highest % of responses in the "considerably better" category.

(this is from p.20 of the OP's article)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

That is not paycheck to paycheck. wtf? Are people this ridiculous for real?

Lol, yes they are. They most certainly are this ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

And yet only 16% of the 200k bracket say the same.

Endlesss greed for consumption leads to not being able to save,

[Anonymous]

The incomes listed here are astounding. It is impossible for me to believe that you all do not have an emergency fund and are living paycheck to paycheck. I guess, I should be astounded by the lack of financial understanding and education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

That is not paycheck to paycheck. wtf? Are people this ridiculous for real?

Yes.

Have you met rich people? Only people richer than themselves are considered real people. So they feel poor, always.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy to me, see page 20:

https://am.gs.com/cms-assets/gsam-app/documents/insights/en/2025/am-retirement-survey-102025.pdf?view=true

Lots of wild details in this document on “The Future of Retirement”

I can relate. We are in the same income bracket. We live paycheck to paycheck after maxing out 401k, hsa, saving 10k per kid in 529, saving 60k in our brokerage account. We don’t have much left.

Similar. We'd live paycheck to paycheck, no matter how much we make, because my spouse is an overspender and would be at any income level. Instead of one country club and house, we'd have five. I max out 401k, 529 plans ($19k per kid per year), and put over $50k per year into my brokerage account; spouse can't access any of those accounts. We are effectively broke in our joint checking account at the end of most months.

Be careful. With an over spender you need to have joint accounts for everything or you’re just kicking the can down the road until retirement to face the music.

It’s impossible to have joint accounts for everything when one person is highly motivated to have secret debt accounts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I assume at that income level they mean they aren't very liquid and therefore rely on each paycheck to pay their bills. They just don't want to sell off property or stock/bonds, but they could if they lost their income, so it's not really paycheck to paycheck like it would be for low-income families.

That comp might also not be salary but a considerable about of it in bonus. So they live paycheck to paycheck until they get that annual bonus.

For just 1 year. Going forward they have last year’s bonus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they mean after they max out their 401ks, fund 529s and HSAs, and pay private school tuition, and the mortgage they have no cash flow left.

This is us exactly.

But do you lie claiming you are living paycheck to paycheck?