From there, WiserAdvisor reviews its network to match you — for free — with up to three vetted, reputable advisors aligned with your specific needs.

You can then schedule no-obligation consultations with your matches to determine who is the best fit for your long-term goals.

WiserAdvisor is a matching service and does not provide financial advice directly. All matched advisors are third parties, and specific financial results are not guaranteed.

Read More: Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going

Inflation and longevity risk

Even modest inflation can erode purchasing power over time. For example, if you retire at 62 and live to 82, a 2% annual inflation rate would significantly reduce what your retirement income can buy.

To maintain the same standard of living as $144,000 in your first year of retirement, you'd need about $214,000 per year by age 82.

Your ability to manage this issue depends heavily on your investment strategy. If you rely primarily on low-risk assets like bonds or Treasury securities, you may need well over $3.6 million to keep up with inflation.

Alternatively, you might invest in inflation-sensitive assets like stocks, real estate, or gold. Many retirees do. According to Empower, the average American in their 60s or 70s holds nearly half their portfolio in equities (3).

While these assets offer higher long-term growth potential, they're also more volatile, which makes consistent withdrawals more difficult.

Investing in gold

The price of gold has made headlines around the world this year, as investors worried about a rocky stock market put their faith in the inflation-hedging asset.

With the commodity trading at about $4,000 per ounce as of July 2026, gold has proven to be a resilient and profitable investment for those looking for stability in retirement.

One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.

Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.

To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $10,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases.

Investing in real estate

Whether you already own property or not, a robust real estate portfolio can help you reach hefty retirement income goals faster. But many soon-to-be retirees would prefer to avoid the stresses of being a landlord in retirement.

Real estate platform mogul offers fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, providing investors with monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits minus the responsibilities that come with being a landlord.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. Simply put, you can invest in institutional-quality offerings without a massive down payment. Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios.

Sign up for an account today to browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.

Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.

Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.

Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.5% historical net IRR and a 2.49x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.

With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to that proprietary deal flow.

Here's the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal — roughly four times the industry average. With its skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.

If you'd like to get in on the vacation property market, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes and vacation rentals without the responsibilities of property management.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived lets you browse a curated selection of homes, each vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, just choose the number of shares you want to buy.

You can start investing in today with just $100.

The 4% rule

Bill Bengen, the creator of the 4% rule, called inflation the "greatest enemy of retirees." In a CNBC interview, he recommended adjusting your withdrawal rate annually to account for inflation, rather than sticking to a fixed percentage (4). This mirrors how Social Security benefits are adjusted to maintain purchasing power (5).

Ultimately, your ability to generate $12,000 a month in retirement depends on several factors:

• The size of your portfolio

• Your expected inflation rate

• Your withdrawal strategy

• Your investment mix

That said, $3.6 million is likely a starting point if you aim to sustain a high standard of living for more than 20 years in retirement.

One of the best ways to build a millionaire lifestyle in retirement is to ensure you understand today's markets. Financial literacy is key for everyone, but those who want to reach $144,000 a year in retirement will need to go deeper than the average person to attain such a high income level.

Investment advice tools like Moby can help take some of the guesswork out of selecting stocks and ETFs. Over four years, across almost 400 stock picks, Moby's recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by nearly 12%, on average.

With their easy-to-understand formats, you can become a wiser investor in just five minutes, all with their 30-day money-back guarantee.

Plus, you can get the full Moby experience for $0 when you sign up today for a 7-day free trial.

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Article sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

Northwestern Mutual (1); U.S. Census Bureau (2); Empower (3); CNBC (4); Social Security (5)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.