Mike Marchetti from baseimage and Kameleon007 from Getty Images Signature Key Points Retirement readiness depends on investment account balance and income generation, not age. The 4% rule suggests multiplying annual income needs by 25 to determine required nest egg size. A common alternative is to save 10 times your final income before retiring. If you’re thinking about retiring or know someone who is, there are three quick questions causing many Americans to realize they can retire earlier than e ...