There is no universally correct percentage to invest. Some people aim for 10% of their income, while others in higher income brackets or pursuing early retirement may invest upwards of 50%.
Determining how much you should invest from your income is one of the most critical decisions in personal finance.
While saving keeps your money safe, investing allows it to grow offering the potential to outpace inflation, accumulate wealth, and eventually achieve long-term goals such as retirement, homeownership, or financial independence.
The right amount to invest is highly personal and depends on numerous factors including income level, lifestyle costs, debt obligations, age, and risk tolerance.
If you are looking to invest as an expat or high-net-worth individual, which is what I specialize in, you can email me (hello@adamfayed.com) or WhatsApp (+44-7393-450-837).
This includes if you are looking for a free expat portfolio review service to optimize your investments and identify growth prospects.
Some of the facts might change from the time of writing, and nothing written here is financial, legal, tax or any kind of individual advice, nor a solicitation to invest.
This article explores how to find a sustainable balance between present needs and future financial security.
Why You Should Invest a Portion of Your Income Regularly
Investing is a foundational habit for anyone seeking long-term financial stability. At its core, investing is about putting money to work so it grows over time.
Keeping your savings in cash or a low-interest savings account may preserve nominal value, but inflation steadily erodes purchasing power.
In addition to preserving value, investing unlocks the power of compound growth. When returns are reinvested, they begin to generate their own returns, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that accelerates over time.
This is why starting early, even with small amounts, can result in significant wealth decades later. Waiting too long means losing out on valuable compounding years.
Furthermore, investing plays a central role in achieving financial goals.
Whether you’re planning for retirement, building an education fund, or preparing for large future expenses, disciplined investing helps bridge the gap between income and aspirations.
It allows you to shift from relying solely on active income to building passive income streams from dividends, interest, or asset appreciation.
Lastly, investing encourages proactive financial discipline. Allocating a percentage of income toward investments builds consistency and long-term thinking into your financial behavior.
Over time, this habit forms the foundation of financial independence, enabling individuals to reduce dependence on employment income and plan for a future with greater choice and flexibility.
General Investment Rules of Thumb: How Much to Invest?
While investment needs vary by person, several widely used guidelines can help frame a starting point.
- What is the 50/30/20 Rule? – Allocate 50% of your income to needs (like rent, utilities, and groceries), 30% to wants (such as entertainment and travel), and 20% to saving or investing. This model works well for people with stable incomes and moderate living costs, and the 20% reserved for financial goals can be directed into retirement accounts, investment portfolios, or a mix of both.
- What is the 4 Percent Rule? – Commonly used in retirement planning, this rule states that you can safely withdraw 4% of your investment portfolio annually in retirement without running out of money over a 30-year span. Reverse engineering this concept, you’d need about 25 times your annual expenses saved to retire securely. This implies that the more you invest and the earlier you start, the more freedom you’ll have in the long term.
- What is age-based investment? – This rule recommends investing a percentage of your income equivalent to your age minus 10 (e.g., a 30-year-old invests 20%). The logic is that younger individuals can afford to invest aggressively since they have more time to recover from market volatility, while older individuals should prioritize capital preservation and stable returns.
For more aggressive savers, such as those following the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, investment rates can range from 30% to over 50% of income.
These individuals live on a fraction of their earnings and invest the rest to achieve early financial freedom, often within 10–20 years.
Ultimately, these rules are starting points, not fixed mandates. Your ideal percentage will depend on your income, expenses, goals, and financial constraints.
How Much to Invest by Income Level
Not everyone earns the same income, and that dramatically affects how much they can realistically invest. Here’s how investment strategies can vary by income bracket:
Low-Income Earners
For individuals earning below the median income, setting aside even 5–10% of income can be challenging.
However, small consistent contributions still matter. Prioritizing an emergency fund, reducing high-interest debt, and using low-cost investment options like retirement accounts with tax incentives (e.g., RRSPs in Canada, ISAs in the UK, or IRAs in the US) can help.
Even investing $100–$200 a month can grow significantly over time through compounding.
Middle-Income Earners
This group has more flexibility and can often aim for a 15–25% investment rate. At this level, it’s important to strike a balance between investing, repaying debt (such as mortgages or student loans), and covering living expenses.
Automating investments and gradually increasing contributions such as raising your investment rate after each pay raise can help build momentum without feeling the pinch.
High-Income Earners
Those in higher tax brackets can often afford to invest 30% or more of their income, depending on lifestyle choices and financial obligations.
HNWIs and professionals in this range should focus on optimizing returns while also minimizing taxes and diversifying across asset classes. Private equity, tax-deferred accounts, and international investments may play a larger role in these portfolios.
In short, your income level sets the floor and ceiling for how much you can invest, but your strategy should always fit within a broader financial plan, with flexibility to adapt as your situation evolves.
How Much to Invest by Age and Goals
Your age and life goals are just as important as your income level when deciding how much to invest. Different stages of life present different financial priorities, and your investment rate should evolve to reflect them.
Young Professionals (20s to early 30s)
At this stage, income may still be modest, but time is your biggest advantage. Even investing 10–15% of your income can lead to substantial wealth due to compound growth.
Many young adults focus on paying off student loans or saving for a first home, so it’s crucial to build good habits early, even if the amount is small.
Automating contributions and using low-cost index funds are excellent starting points.
Growing Families (30s to 40s)
For those raising children or buying property, expenses tend to increase. However, it’s also a critical time to ramp up investing.
Aim for at least 15–25% if possible, allocating funds across retirement plans, education funds, and diversified portfolios.
If cash flow is tight, prioritize tax-advantaged accounts and low-volatility investments. It’s also a good time to revisit insurance and estate planning.
Mid-Career to Pre-Retirement (40s to 50s)
As income peaks and dependents become financially independent, many investors shift toward maximizing retirement contributions. A 20–30% investment rate is common at this stage.
Risk exposure may start to decrease gradually, with portfolios rebalanced toward more conservative holdings like bonds or dividend-paying stocks.
If you’ve fallen behind, catch-up contributions and a higher investment rate may be necessary.
Nearing Retirement (60s and above)
Preservation and stability become the main focus. While you may not be investing a significant portion of new income, you’ll be shifting existing assets toward safer, income-generating vehicles.
These might include annuities, bond ladders, or conservative mutual funds. At this stage, the focus is less on how much you’re investing monthly and more on how sustainable your drawdown strategy is.
Investing Based on Risk Tolerance and Lifestyle
The amount you invest should also reflect your comfort with risk and your broader lifestyle choices. Not everyone has the same appetite for volatility or the same financial obligations, so personalized adjustments are necessary.
Risk Tolerance
Some people are comfortable with high-risk, high-reward assets like cryptocurrencies or emerging market stocks.
Others prefer steady, lower-yield investments like bonds or dividend-paying blue chips. Your investment rate may be higher if you’re aiming for aggressive growth, but that should be tempered with an understanding of potential losses.
A conservative investor may invest less aggressively but over a longer period to compensate.
Lifestyle Preferences
A minimalist or frugal lifestyle allows for higher investment rates, often 30–50% or more. On the other hand, those with high living costs or luxury preferences may struggle to invest even 10% without cutting back.
The key is to align your spending with your priorities: if building wealth is a long-term goal, you may need to adjust lifestyle choices to create room for investment.
Expats
For globally mobile professionals, investment strategies become more complex. Asset protection, tax residency rules, and currency risks must all be accounted for.
These individuals may invest large portions of income in property, offshore accounts, or business ventures.
Portfolio allocations often span multiple jurisdictions and require professional advisory to ensure legal compliance and long-term efficiency.
Emergency Planning
Before ramping up investments, it’s critical to have a cash buffer—typically three to six months of expenses—in an emergency fund.
This ensures you won’t need to sell investments at a loss if unexpected expenses arise. Without this safety net, you may be forced to liquidate assets prematurely.
Debt and Obligations
If you have high-interest debt (like credit cards), paying that off may take priority over investing.
However, low-interest debt, such as a mortgage or student loan, can often be repaid alongside regular investing. Balancing both requires careful budgeting and prioritization.
In short, more than what you earn, determining how much you should invest is all about what you can part with comfortably, consistently, and with clear goals in mind.
For more thorough guidance, it is highly recommended to seek the services of a trusted financial planner.
Pained by financial indecision?
Adam is an internationally recognised author on financial matters with over 830million answer views on Quora, a widely sold book on Amazon, and a contributor on Forbes.
