Kevin O'Leary Says $500,000 Can Fund Retirement at 5% Fixed Income

1 articles · Updated · Benzinga · May 30

$500,000 in savings can support retirement if it generates about 5% a year in fixed income, Kevin O'Leary said, framing the threshold as a lifestyle question rather than a universal rule.
A 5% return would produce roughly $25,000 annually, or about $4,160 a month, while O'Leary said investors taking more equity risk could target 8.5% to 9% returns.
Paid-off housing, low debt and modest spending make that math more workable, but a traditional 4% withdrawal rule would cut income from a $500,000 portfolio to about $20,000 before Social Security.
O'Leary's main warning was against putting retirement money into relatives' restaurants, bars or other private ventures, arguing wealth protection matters more than chasing flashy returns.