Tony Robbins has 1-word response to big Social Security question

The author and motivational speaker minces no words on retirement finances.

Mar 13, 2025 - 04:54

Tony Robbins has 1-word response to big Social Security question

Many Americans understand that access to Social Security benefits as a safety net is one key to their aspirations of a comfortable retirement. But it is, by far, not the only solution.

Tony Robbins, the motivational speaker, author and philanthropist, explains Social Security's relationship to handling retirement finances with one word.

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First, it is important to discuss some key facts around the Social Security federal progam.

Americans are generally aware that there is uncertainty about Social Security's finances. Without legislative action, its trust funds could be depleted within the next decade.

If that were to happen, U.S. workers who expect Social Security monthly payments in their retirement years could stand to find those checks to be reduced to about 75% of what their value would be otherwise.

With monthly benefits from Social Security only averaging about $1,900, Americans would be wise to take advantage of other strategies in which to invest.

Tony Robbins makes this point succinctly clear — and offers some advice.

A retired man is seen running on a trail with trees in the background. Tony Robbins explains his view on one way to avoid a retirement and Social Security problem.
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Tony Robbins uses 1 word to explain Social Security expectations

Robbins wastes no time addressing how Social Security is only a starting place for most Americans' aspirations of a comfortable retirement.

Plainly stated, Social Security monthly paychecks are not enough.

The author says in no uncertain terms that failing to plan for retirement and guessing that Social Security will be enough is a recipe for the following:

"Disaster," Robbins writes.

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Acknowledgment of that fact means people have to plan to do more in their working years to put money away for their retirement expectations.

Thankfully, options abound. Generally recommended methods include the use of employer-sponsored 401(k)s and tax-advantaged IRAs.

Robbins has a particularly strong opinion on one thing people ought to do in preparation, while saving and investing.

Tony Robbins suggests a strategy, beyond Social Security, for retirement planning

Robbins asks a key question about how much money one needs to retire. He makes a mathematical calculation to help clarify the thinking involved.

As life-expectancy rates increase, many people are coming to the realization that planning for retirement carries with it the burden of being able to financially cover the cost of being alive longer.

Robbins discusses the type of lifestyle one expects to maintain in their retirement years and a simple plan to work that out into how long one expects to live.

His advice for people is to calculate how much money it takes to maintain their current annual money spending. He emphasizes that this amount is not the sum total of what one earns, but more importantly, how much one spends.

If a person spends more than they earn, that's a personal finance money discipline problem that needs to be addressed by the individual.

Then, Robbins says, simply mulitply that yearly spending number by 20. That is because a longer life expectancy means people can't run the risk of outliving the money they have saved.

Many people also aspire to retire with more ambition than to continue their current lifestyle. For a lot of Americans, retirement sounds like a dream of owning a boat or traveling frequently to far-away destinations.

Tony Robbins does not want people to be afraid of thinking those thoughts and imagining big things.

He encourages them to embrace an abundance mindset, as opposed to a scarcity mindset.

"An abundance mindset is the belief that there are enough resources in the world for everyone – and of being grateful for whatever the universe provides," Robbins wrote.

"It’s often talked about in contrast with a scarcity mindset, or the belief that the world’s resources are finite — when someone gets something, that leaves less for everyone else."