ImSoSuss

I don't know. Tough one

Varks

Make widebody Captain in less than a year. Max out 401K contributions $73500 this year I think. S&P averages 10% return over 35 years. Assuming you have at least $10,000 saved. $23,000,000 at retirement. Odds are you won’t go to 65 so who cares what the final number is.

Run. AA contract 2025.

Pilot X

73,500 is for 50+

nene

In his defense, with the rate of inflation, the contribution limit will likely exceed 73,500 in a few years anyway, so that number would be conservative to use for over a career.

Moonbeam

23 million! Hopefully that will be enough. So far I haven't met a single pilot that has 35 years in with 23 million in retirement money. Probably because working for the airlines for 30 years lots of stuff happens to your career and earnings.

Varks

The reason you have not met a pilot with 23 million is because we haven’t been making $400,000 for 35 years. I am sure many today have between 5-8 million.

starting today at 30 you would have to be a real bad investor to not have over $20 million. You should have way more than that.

In my Delta example I forgot about the 18%. Even easier. I forgot about over 50 was part of that. My bad. You can afford to put in $7500.

If I were 30 today I would after tax into Roth401k right now.
If you plan on having kids then 529. New good deal if you don’t use it then it can be converted to Roth IRA for the primary recipient.

This isn’t exclusive to Delta. Anyone starting today can do it. It just takes a little discipline. Time value. Plug the numbers into a compound interest calculator. Don’t trust me. Easy Peasy lemon squeezy.

Moonbeam

Everything you said about financial vehicles is spot on, I will even add that HSA is something most pilots don't take advantage of.

All I am saying is "stuff" happens in a 30 to 35 year airline career. It wasn't all that long ago that the legacies had guys on furlough, and not just for a few months but years. The historic return in the markets will probably match the historic boom and bust pilot career.

DownWithNarita

Keep in mind hats are mandatory at delta.

PilotBases

Id make more as an flying a WB with a hat on than I’d make at my prior major non legacy as a captain. Hat is least of my concerns.

Al Czervik

What time you due back at the Mensa meeting?