By Jeffrey K. Presley, CKA®
As a Christian, you believe that retirement readiness means more than just accumulating wealth. While you want to live comfortably in retirement, you also want to establish a legacy of giving. How do you know how much is enough?
Retirement Readiness: Two Central Questions
If you want to support yourself while using your wealth to create a positive impact, determining whether you have enough to retire comfortably takes on another layer of complexity. You need to ask (and answer) two central questions:
- Can my retirement savings last the rest of my life?
- How much should I give now vs. later?
Where you focus your attention first depends on your current situation. If you’re behind on saving for retirement, aim to hit your savings target before working on a giving strategy. If you have a significant taxable estate, timing your charitable gifts should be a primary concern.
How Much Do You Need in Retirement?
Many of my clients want to know how much they need to save to be ready for retirement. However, there’s no magic number that signals retirement readiness. How much you need depends on your lifestyle in retirement and your current income.
For example, many people anticipate needing 80% to 90% of their current salary when they’re retired. But if you intend to travel extensively or explore expensive hobbies while retired, you might aim for something closer to 100%.
A general rule of retirement readiness is to have 10 to 12 times your annual salary saved by the time you’re 67. These are some common age-based savings milestones:
- By age 30: Have 1x your annual salary saved.
- By age 40: Have 3x your annual salary saved.
- By age 50: Have 6x your annual salary saved.
- By age 60: Have 8x to 11x your annual salary saved.
- By age 67: Have 10x to 12x your annual salary saved.
Another popular retirement readiness guideline is the 4% rule. Simply multiply your portfolio by 4% to get an estimate of your investment income during retirement.
These are general rules for retirement readiness. It’s best to work one-on-one with your advisor to develop a customized savings plan.
Giving Now vs. Giving Later
If you’re like many of our clients pondering retirement readiness, you want to keep taxes low while maximizing your Kingdom impact.
It might sound easier to focus on funding retirement now and then leave the remainder of your wealth to charities after your death. For most retirees, there’s nothing wrong with this approach. In some cases, though, it could mean losing more of your wealth to taxes.
The 2026 lifetime gift and estate tax exemption is $15 million. If your estate may exceed this amount, targeted giving strategies could help you reduce estate taxes while supporting causes that matter.
For example, making multiple smaller gifts up to the annual exclusion amount ($19,000 for 2026) reduces the value of your taxable estate while letting you support good causes now. If you have tax-deferred retirement accounts and must take required minimum distributions, consider making qualified charitable distributions to deserving organizations of your choice.
Need Help Assessing Your Retirement Readiness?
No two people are on identical journeys of faith or finances. Mountain PEAK Wealth Advisors is committed to helping each of our clients steward their wealth and build a purposeful, meaningful legacy. Contact us today to discuss retirement readiness.
If you’re ready to work with a Christian financial advisor who puts your best interests first, offers a personalized, fee-only approach, and integrates a values-driven perspective into every decision, I invite you to reach out. To schedule a meeting, call (260) 435-1200 or email jeff@mountainpeakwealthadvisors.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is retirement readiness, and how do I know if I’m on track?
Retirement readiness refers to whether your savings, income plan, and financial strategy are aligned to support your lifestyle throughout retirement. While general benchmarks (like saving a multiple of your salary) can provide guidance, true retirement readiness depends on your goals, spending needs, and how long your assets may need to last. Mountain PEAK Wealth Advisors can help you evaluate your progress and build a plan tailored to your unique situation.
How much should I save to achieve retirement readiness?
There’s no single number that defines retirement readiness. Many guidelines suggest saving 10–12 times your annual income by retirement age, but your needs may vary depending on lifestyle, healthcare costs, and longevity. A personalized approach can help you better understand what “enough” looks like for you. Mountain PEAK Wealth Advisors can work with you to define your retirement goals and create a savings strategy to support them.
How should I balance charitable giving with retirement readiness?
Balancing giving with retirement readiness involves aligning your financial resources with both your lifestyle needs and your values. Some individuals prioritize building sufficient retirement income first, while others incorporate giving strategies along the way to manage taxes and support causes they care about. Mountain PEAK Wealth Advisors can help you explore giving strategies that fit within your broader retirement plan and reflect what matters most to you.
About Jeff
Jeffrey K. Presley, CKA®, has been serving clients of Mountain PEAK Wealth Advisors in Fort Wayne, Indiana, since October 2016, where he is President and Chief Compliance Officer. With decades of experience in financial planning, investment management, wealth creation, and tax strategy, Jeff brings both professional excellence and a faith-based perspective to his role.
As a Certified Kingdom Advisor®, he helps clients align their financial decisions with their values and long-term goals through principles that never change. His expertise spans wealth management, retirement planning, and biblically grounded financial guidance.
Before founding Mountain PEAK Wealth Advisors, Jeff served as a financial advisor at several respected firms, including Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management, Inc., McDonald Presley Capital Management, Inc., and Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Earlier in his career, he also held leadership positions at Fort Wayne National Bank, including branch manager.
In addition to his advisory work, Jeff is the principal of Presley Tax Services, LLC, offering tax preparation and advisory services. These are provided separately from Mountain PEAK, and clients are never obligated to use them in order to receive wealth management services.
Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University in 1988. Outside of his professional commitments, he is actively involved at his church, Pathway Community Church, where he serves in various roles. To learn more about Jeff, connect with him on LinkedIn.
