Kevin O'Leary's '90-Day Number' Rule Could Change How You Think About Retirement
Shark Tank personality Kevin O’Leary has a simple approach to help people plan and save for retirement: determining their "90-day number."
Here’s how the strategy works, and how you can implement it today.
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What the '90-day number' means
The 90-day number strategy requires adding up all of your income over the past 90 days and subtracting all expenses from the same period, according to The Street’s report on O’Leary’s book. A positive number indicates that you are living below your means and should boost your retirement contributions, while a negative number suggests trimming your spending.
The 90-day number does not predict how soon you will be able to retire, but it turns long-term planning into actionable steps that you can take right now. This rule either tells you to invest more money for your retirement or to trim your expenses so it’s possible to boost your contributions and save for the future. O’Leary views this rule as a wake-up call for people who want to save more but are spending too much to make that possible.
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Why a 90-day view can be more useful than a monthly budget
While you can follow this same framework with a monthly budget, a 90-day view can be more useful since it accounts for irregular bills, seasonal spending bonuses and income fluctuations. It’s possible to have a poor spending month if you incur emergency expenses, such as a surprise vet bill or car repair, in what can otherwise prove to be a strong year. Similarly, you may get a bonus that makes one month look extremely positive in an otherwise unprofitable year.
The 90-day view minimizes the impact of one-off items and determines whether your lifestyle is truly affordable. It also aligns with how much you can put into your retirement plans each year. People cannot reliably put more into their retirement plans if debt payments and overspending are consuming their cash flow. Keeping your expenses in check can give you the push you need to increase contributions to — and potentially even max out — your 401(k) and individual retirement account (IRA), or other retirement savings accounts.
How to use the number to improve retirement savings
If you use this framework and end up with a positive number, you may want to direct part of that surplus toward a 401(k) or IRA, especially if you already have an emergency fund that can cover at least three to six months of living expenses. A negative number can be a warning that it’s time to reduce expenses — like by dining out less — or look for ways to boost your income.
Consider how much you expect to receive from Social Security, too. Keep in mind that the best financial plan for you will be specific to factors including your goals, risk tolerance, savings and income.