Overview
- Fidelity reported an average 401(k) balance of about $146,400 at year‑end 2025, up 11%, while Vanguard put the average at a record $167,970, up 13%.
- The typical saver’s nest egg is far smaller, with Fidelity citing a median balance near $34,400, even as 665,000 accounts reached $1 million or more.
- Vanguard said 6% of participants took hardship withdrawals in 2025, a record share, with avoiding foreclosure or eviction and medical bills the top reasons and a median withdrawal of $1,900.
- Plan features continued to expand, with 79% of large Vanguard plans auto‑enrolling new hires and 69% of participants using professionally managed allocations; Fidelity pegged total saving at roughly 14.2% of pay including employer matches.
- The data release followed President Trump’s State of the Union claim that balances are up and his proposal for a federal match for workers without employer matches, underscoring policy focus on both higher balances and rising emergency withdrawals.