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Most people would like to retire when they are still healthy and active but financially secure enough to continue an energetic lifestyle. The younger the better, for most of us. However, the best age to retire for longevity is different for everyone. It depends on many factors, such as your finances, your health, and what you want to do in retirement. Some workers may want to continue in their careers for as long as they can.

Here’s a look at how age affects your retirement — and things to consider when planning your retirement timeline.

How Your Age at Retirement Affects Retirement Savings Income

So you’re looking ahead to retirement and expect to have a significant nest egg. If you retire at 65, your retirement could last 25 years or more. But what if you retire earlier — say, at 55? Your savings will have to last that much longer, but you’ll also have less time to save up. Unless you plan ahead, even a decent sized nest egg might not stretch 35 years.

The age at which you decide to retire also affects your Social Security benefit. If you retire at 62, the earliest possible Social Security retirement age, your benefit will be significantly lower than if you wait: 30% lower than if you claim benefits at your full retirement age of 67.

Recommended: Free Credit Score Monitoring

The Average Retirement Age in America

The original rules for Social Security benefits assumed 65 as the common age for retirement. In 2022, the full retirement age was raised to 66 for those born between 1943 and 1959, and 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.

The actual average age for retirement for men is 64.6, and for women 62.3. Sixty-two is the earliest someone can receive Social Security, but the longer you wait, the greater your benefit will be (more on that below).

Recommended: Is $1 Million Enough to Retire at 55?

Factors Involved in the Ideal Retirement Age

The best time to stop working depends on your retirement savings, health benefits, and Social Security — factors that vary with age.

Savings

The best way to save for retirement is with a diversified portfolio that can average out your risk over time. Your strategy will depend on your risk tolerance, how long you have to save, and how much of your income you can afford to put away. A budgeting and spending app can help you monitor your income and expenses each month so that you know how much you should set aside.

The goal is to have enough saved up so you can stop working at your desired retirement age and have enough of a nest egg to fund the lifestyle you desire.

One rule of thumb recommends saving around 10 times your pre-retirement salary and living on 80 percent of your pre-retirement income. So if you earn $150,000 before you retire, you will need $120,000 a year to cover typical retirement expenses once you leave the workforce.

Most people have a pension plan or IRA as part of their portfolio. Here’s how age affects these savings vehicles.

Pension Plans and IRAs

Most pension plans impose an IRS penalty for withdrawing retirement funds “early,” which means before age 59 ½. You can delay your retirement as long as you like, but you must start required minimum distributions (RMDs) from retirement plans at a certain age as mandated by law, whether or not you’re retired.

In 2023, the starting age for RMDs was raised to 73 years. The exception is Roth IRAs: In 2024, holders of designated Roth 401(k) accounts will no longer be required to take RMDs during their lifetime.

Social Security

Social Security is another vital source of income for retirees. You can start to claim benefits at age 62, but at a reduced amount. People who retire at age 66 or 67 will receive full Social Security benefits. If you delay until age 70, you’ll receive even more.

A lot rides on your definition of retirement, too. You can semi-retire at age 65 (or earlier), work part-time, and collect Social Security benefits. However, if you earn more than the yearly earnings limit, your benefits will be reduced. If you are under full retirement age, the Social Security Administration will deduct $1 from your benefit payments for every $2 you earn above the annual limit. That limit was $21,240 in 2023.

Medicare

Individuals are eligible for Medicare, a government-sponsored health plan, at age 65. If you retire earlier, you will have to factor in the cost of out-of-pocket health insurance, which is expensive. The average national cost of health insurance is $456 per month, whereas the Medicare Part B premium is around $165 per month.

Health Benefits

The best age to retire for health is debatable. Going to work provides us with social connections, and mental and physical stimulation, all of which keep us healthy. Many people feel they lose their purpose and identity when they retire and even fall into depression. A recent paper published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization found that early retirement may even accelerate cognitive decline in late adulthood.

What Is the Best Age to Retire?

Considering these factors, the ideal age to retire is different for everyone. It depends on your health, your finances, whether your home state taxes retirement income, and what you want to do in your retirement. Also, as people age, the decision of when to retire can change with their circumstances.

For now, choose a retirement date and start saving. The earlier you start, the more options and bigger nest egg you will have when the time comes.

What If You Don’t Have Enough Money by the Ideal Retirement Age?

Some guidelines recommend having 10 times your annual salary saved by age 67, the age at which people born after 1960 can retire with full Social Security benefits. But what if you fall behind these savings benchmarks?

If your savings fall short, you’ll have to play catch up. Make sure you are maximizing your 401(k) contributions and your employer match. Contribute to an IRA or a Roth IRA, too. And if you receive any windfalls, such as tax refunds or bonuses, put those funds toward your retirement.

Another strategy is to free up more cash for retirement savings by examining your budget and reducing expenses. Can you eat out less? Downsize your home, or sell other assets?

You could also continue working for a few additional years to increase your Social Security benefits. You may work part-time, accept a less demanding position with less pay, or do some consulting work.

The Takeaway

Just about everyone wants to retire when they are still healthy so they can enjoy their later years. When deciding what age to retire, consider what it will take to maintain the lifestyle that you want. Possible income streams include withdrawals from a health savings plan and retirement accounts, Social Security benefits, and revenue from investment assets, such as rental property. Working part-time might be an option until you are ready to fully retire.

The decision of when to retire can change with your circumstances. The best plan is to set goals as soon as you can and start saving for retirement early. That way, you will have more options and a bigger nest egg when the time comes.

Take control of your finances with SoFi’s money tracker app, available with SoFi. Connect all of your accounts on one mobile dashboard to get a bird’s-eye view of your balances on the go. Set monthly spending targets, and review your top spending categories. You can even talk one-on-one with a financial planner to set ambitious goals for your money and your life.

FAQ

What is the best age to retire for your health?

Some people thrive in retirement, and some people find themselves at a loss. Work provides social interaction and mental and physical stimulation, so retiring early may not be healthier if the result is a more sedentary and lonely lifestyle.

What is the best age to retire for Social Security benefits?

Retiring at age 70 would give you maximum Social Security benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, if you retire in 2023 at full retirement age, your maximum monthly benefit is about $3,627. However, if you retire early at age 62, your maximum benefit is just $2,572. And if you put off retirement until age 70, your maximum benefit rises to $4,555.

What is the most popular age to take Social Security?

According to U.S. News & World Report, full retirement age has become the most popular age to claim payments. For many people, that is age 66. Those with a full retirement age of 67 will get a 6.7% pay cut if they sign up for payments at age 66.

Photo credit: iStock/Vladimir Vladimirov

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What is cost basis? Cost basis is the purchase price or original value of an asset or investment. It’s used to calculate capital gains and losses for tax filings.

Conservative investing describes a strategy that avoids risky investments. Blue chip stocks and other established investments are considered conservative.

It isn’t an easy thing to stop the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. If it were, two-thirds of Americans wouldn’t be struggling to make ends meet every month.

And yet, according to a December 2022 survey by PYMNTS.com and LendingClub, about 64% of respondents reported they were living paycheck to paycheck at the end of last year.

What can you do if you want to beat those odds and get ahead of your bills? Read on for some steps that may help you achieve financial breathing room.

Ways to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Maybe it’s inflation eating up your paycheck these days. Or maybe it’s just… life.

Either way, there are likely adjustments you can make — both big and small — to get yourself to a better place financially. Here are a few basics to consider if you’re wondering how to stop living paycheck to paycheck:

Set a Budget

Admit it: You knew the b-word was coming.

Making a budget is the best way we know of to get a better handle on your spending and saving. It can show you where your hard-earned money is going every month — and help you nudge it in a different direction if you don’t like what you see.

Yes, it involves sitting down and doing math. But thanks to spending apps that can help you set up budget categories and monitor your money movements all in one place, the process isn’t nearly as tedious as it used to be.

You’ll probably have to tweak your budget from time to time — to deal with quarterly or seasonal bills, for example, or if costs go up. And if you’re a freelancer or seasonal worker, it can be tough to budget on a fluctuating income. But creating a comprehensive and realistic budget you can stick to through thick and thin can help you make your paycheck go further.

Focus on the Essentials

As you determine your personal budgeting categories, you’ll also be setting spending priorities. That starts with focusing on the essentials. Unless you’re still living with your parents rent-free, it can be a good idea to figure out the amount you’ll need for food, utilities, shelter, and transportation before anything else.

After that, you can play around a bit with what’s most important to you — your “needs” vs. “wants.” You may have to let go of a few things (sorry, Netflix) when you run out of money to spend.

No matter what happens, you’ll have a roof over your head and something to eat. The lights, heat, and water in your home will keep working. And you can get where you need to go.

Prepare for the Unexpected

If you’re worried that an unexpected bill could come along at any time and take a huge bite out of your finances, you aren’t alone. About 56% of Americans are unable to cover a $1,000 surprise bill with their savings, according to a 2022 survey by Bankrate.

Financial advisors typically recommend keeping at least three to six months’ worth of expenses stashed away in an emergency fund. If that amount is too daunting, you can start with a much smaller amount. Anything you can put away will help if you suddenly have to pay a medical, home, or car repair bill.

Get Out of Debt

If debt payments (credit cards, student loans, etc.) are a big part of your monthly budget, you may want to rethink your debt payoff strategy.

To truly dump your debt burden — and reclaim the money you’re paying in interest every month so you can save it or use it for other things — it can help to have a debt reduction plan. There are many options to choose from, including these popular strategies:

•   The snowball method: With this strategy you put any extra money you can toward paying off your smallest debt — while making the minimum payment on the others. When that balance is paid off, you can move on to the next smallest bill, and so on — slowly eliminating all your debts.

•   The avalanche method: The avalanche method focuses on high-interest debt. With this strategy, you would put any extra you can toward the credit card or loan with the highest interest rate. When that bill is paid off, you move on to the bill with the next highest interest rate, and so on.

If you’re using credit cards just to keep your head above water, you could end up drowning in debt — especially as interest rates are rising. Try to budget with your credit card wisely, instead of thinking of it as a life raft. Charge only what you can afford to pay off each month.

Increase Your Income

If your main income stream just isn’t enough — and a pay raise isn’t coming anytime soon — you may want to consider your options for earning extra cash.

That might mean taking on a side hustle (something you can do when you’re not at your regular job), selling stuff you don’t use any more, or maybe renting out a room in your home. Whatever you choose, try to make it fun (or at least bearable), so you aren’t tempted to give up. And make sure the hours, effort, and money you put into the side gig (for supplies, uniforms, etc.) are worth it and you’re really getting ahead.

Recommended: Best Paying Online Side Jobs for Teachers

Increase Your Down Payment

A 20% down payment usually isn’t required to finance a home purchase, and most buyers put down less. (With a SoFi home loan, for example, first-time buyers may qualify for a 3% down payment.)

Your Realtor® and your lender can help you decide how much your down payment should be. But if you can scrape together more, you’ll borrow less, which means you can have lower monthly payments. You’ll also have more equity sooner, and you’ll pay back less interest over the life of the loan.

More Tips to Budget and Save Money

OK, now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s drill down to some other lifestyle changes that can help you spend less and save more:

See the Benefits of Owning Less

It’s tough to say no to buying new, or better, or more — especially when you can make online purchases with just a couple of clicks and use a credit card to pay. But embracing financial minimalism and the mantra that “less is more” can help you change your spending behavior.

Budgeting is a great way to focus on needs vs. wants, and tracking your spending with an app, or even going old-school and writing down every penny you spend in a notebook, can help you set priorities.

Sit Down and Do the Math

It’s easier to get where you want to be if you know where you are. So it can be helpful to pull out all the paperwork when you’re creating your household budget. That means sitting down with purchase receipts, bank and credit card statements, payroll info, etc., to figure out how much you’re spending every month, what you’re spending it on, and how much you actually have to spend.

Look for Things to Cut

This is the painful part. If you really want to stop living paycheck to paycheck, there’s a good chance you’re going to have to get rid of some of the things you love.

That might mean cutting back on concert or theater tickets (or just choosing cheaper seats). You might have to back off on the morning trips to Starbucks. Or cancel app subscription services. The good news is, you get to pick your priorities — as long as those things track with what you realistically have and want to spend each month.

Embrace a No-Spend Period

It’d be pretty difficult to not spend any money at all for a year — or even a week. (Although some people are trying as part of the “no-spend challenge” trend.)

But by challenging yourself to only spend on things you absolutely have to have for a pre-set period of time, you can really get a feel for what’s important to you. And of course, you save money.

You can go big or small. You can challenge yourself for a year, or a month, or a week. You can try to go without buying anything new, or limit yourself in a specific category: no spending on clothes, shoes, or jewelry; no movies (at the theater or streaming); or no eating at restaurants, for example. And you can post your progress on Twitter or Instagram — if that helps push you to keep going — or you can keep it all private in your diary.

Put Your Savings into a Separate Account

It may seem super convenient to put all your money into a checking account. But that can also make that money super easy to spend.

Funneling some of your funds into a separate savings account can help you keep your hands off your cash as you set up your emergency fund or save for other short- and long-term goals. And if you put the money into a high-yield online savings account, you typically can earn a higher interest rate than you would with a traditional checking account.

Don’t Be Afraid to Consider Drastic Changes

Some people need to make only a few minor changes to pull out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. Others may need to get more radical. If you can’t get your spending under control, for example, you may need to cut up your credit cards. If you can’t afford your car payments or gas, it might make sense to take the bus or carpool to work. Or you may have to make some uncomfortable budget cuts — like going without cable or shopping at less expensive clothing stores.

When you’re thinking about what moves might help you get ahead, consider crunching the numbers first to see if the change really makes financial sense. Then, try to stay motivated by thinking about what you can do with the money you’ll save.

Avoid Lifestyle Creep

Is part of your problem caused by “lifestyle creep”? That’s when your personal cost of living increases, but so slowly you might not have noticed until you were scrambling to pay your bills.

Maybe you got a raise and thought you could afford to spend a bit more on the things you want. Or maybe your friends are earning more money than they used to — and keeping up socially is hurting you financially.

If you’re overshooting your budget every month and can’t figure out why, it may be time to reexamine your priorities and focus on the larger goals (saving for a house or college for your kids) that could slip away if you can’t get a handle on your spending.

Set Financial Goals

When you’re just winging it financially from month to month and year to year, it can be much harder to live within your means. Setting short- and long-term goals — whether it’s to reduce your debt, build your emergency fund, or save for a new car or home — can motivate you to stay on track.

When you’re setting your goals:

•   Think about what you hope to accomplish and how it would make your life better. (Be specific.)

•   Give yourself a timeline. (Be realistic.)

•   Try to make your goals measurable. (Baby steps are OK!)

Be Patient and Stay Positive

Getting your finances on track can be a little like dieting. You’re bound to slip up from time to time. And getting to your goals may take longer than you planned.

You may even be tempted to give up completely.

But if you stick with your plan, you can improve your financial health — and feel better about yourself and your future.

Recommended: Ways to Reward Yourself Without Breaking Your Budget

Track Your Spending with an Eye Toward Saving

If your goal is to save more, you’ll have to spend less. And one way to get the ball rolling is to track your spending for at least 30 days to see where your money is going.

Once you spot the things you can change, you can start cutting back on current and future spending, and catch up on old debts. Then you can move more and more money to savings — and get closer and closer to your goals.

It may help to choose a budget strategy that focuses on saving, such as the 70-20-10 budget rule, which divides after-tax income into three basic categories: 70% to monthly spending, 20% to savings and debt repayment, and 10% to donations (or to more saving and investing).

The Takeaway

Living paycheck to paycheck is like treading water: You may not be drowning in debt (yet), but you also aren’t getting any closer to your goals.

Instead of waiting for someone or something to come and help (Publishers Clearinghouse? Powerball®? Your Great Aunt Martha?), you can take a deep breath, get a better grip on your budget, and do what it takes to save yourself.

SoFi has some great tools available to help you through the process, including a money tracker app that can help you set goals, track your spending, monitor your credit score, and link all your accounts on one mobile dashboard. With SoFi, you can see how you’re doing all in one place and all for free.

FAQ

What is the 70-20-10 rule for money?

The 70-20-10 rule is a budgeting strategy that focuses on both spending and saving.

What is considered not living paycheck to paycheck?

If you aren’t living paycheck to paycheck, you’re living comfortably within or below your means, you’re putting savings away for future goals, and you have an emergency account set up so unexpected bills don’t send you spiraling.

What’s the best way to stop living paycheck to paycheck?

A good first step toward ending the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle is to find out where your money is going every month, and to set up a budget that prioritizes smart spending and saving.

Photo credit: iStock/jacoblund

SoFi Relay offers users the ability to connect both SoFi accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc.’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. Based on your consent SoFi will also automatically provide some financial data received from the credit bureau for your visibility, without the need of you connecting additional accounts. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score is a VantageScore® based on TransUnion® (the “Processing Agent”) data.

*Terms and conditions apply. This offer is only available to new SoFi users without existing SoFi accounts. It is non-transferable. One offer per person. To receive the rewards points offer, you must successfully complete setting up Credit Score Monitoring. Rewards points may only be redeemed towards active SoFi accounts, such as your SoFi Checking or Savings account, subject to program terms that may be found here: SoFi Member Rewards Terms and Conditions. SoFi reserves the right to modify or discontinue this offer at any time without notice.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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A common way to invest money is by buying stocks. But with so many choices of stocks to consider, investors may find themselves comparing one option to another — yet still feeling uncertain about what’s the best decision.

So, what’s the best way to compare a variety of stock buying options? One commonly used method is a ratio called the return on equity, also known as the “return on net worth.” By knowing how to calculate return on equity, you’ll have a helpful metric to turn to when determining how stocks stack up.

The Return on Equity Formula

The formula for return on equity is a fairly straightforward calculation that can provide a key comparative metric to investors. Here it is:

Return on Equity = Net Income/Average Shareholder Equity

The ratio helps to determine how well a particular company is managing contributions from their stockholders. The higher the number, the more efficiently the company’s management is likely generating growth from the money invested.

Investors can then compare the result for one company to the ratio of another company, and so forth.

How to Use the ROE Formula

Calculating return on equity requires two pieces of information: net income and shareholder equity. Once this information is at hand, divide net income by the shareholder’s equity — and the result is the return on investment ratio.

So, how can you find those numbers?

Net income, also called “net earnings” or the company’s “bottom line,” is a figure that’s included on a company’s income statement, also called a P&L statement or profit and loss statement.

Publicly traded companies are legally required to distribute income statements in their annual financial reports to shareholders. Many companies may choose to also include financial statements on their websites and may otherwise distribute this information. So, when calculating return on investment, the net income figure can usually be found through one of these methods.

Reverse Engineering Net Income

Net income is calculated by taking the amount of a company’s sales and then subtracting what’s called the “cost of goods sold” from the figure.

Cost of goods sold, in turn, is calculated by determining the direct costs of making products, which includes the cost of materials used and direct labor costs. It does not include indirect costs, such as marketing.

Subtract the costs of goods sold from the sales total — and then also subtract operating expenses, administrative expenses, taxes, depreciation, and so forth. What’s left is a company’s net income.

Reverse Engineering Stockholder Equity

This can also be called “shareholder equity.” Information can be found on a company’s balance sheet, and the formula for shareholders’ equity is as follows: total assets minus total liabilities = SE. In other words, it’s what a company owns minus what it owes.

As another way to look at this, if all of a company’s assets (buildings, equipment, investments, and so forth) were liquidated into cash and all debts were paid off, what remained would be shareholder equity.

How to Use Return on Equity Ratios to Invest

Here’s an example of how you can make use of return on equity ratios when investing. If a company has $5 million in net income, with shareholder equity of $15 million, then return on equity can be calculated in this way: $5,000,000/$15,000,000 = 33.3%.

Using this figure as a benchmark, an investor can then compare the desirability of buying stocks from this company versus those available from another company.

When calculating the ROE ratio, an investor gains visibility into a moment in time. Investors may choose to do that before buying or selling shares — or they may track the performance of a stock over a period of time. Some investors like to see the return on equity calculation rise by 10% or more each year, as a reflection of the S&P performance.

In general, when ROE rises, it means the company is generating profit without needing as much capital — meaning without needing as much influx of cash. It demonstrates that the company is efficiently using the capital invested in the business by shareholders. When the ratio goes down, it is generally a sign of a problem.

This, however, is not universally true. There are times when return on equity artificially goes up. This can happen if a company buys back shares of its own stock or if the company has a significant amount of debt. So, although ROE is a key metric for investors to use when deciding if a particular stock is a worthwhile investment for them, it’s not a stand-alone metric.

Here are a few additional factors to consider. Because some industries as a whole typically have higher ROE ratios than others, comparisons between companies are more meaningful when done between two companies of the same industry.

Plus, in general, the more risks taken in investment choices, the higher the potential for return, as well as for loss. So, some investors with a higher tolerance for risk may choose to buy shares of stock in companies that don’t look as desirable if they have reason to believe that there is enough potential for significant financial rewards.

What Else to Consider with ROE

When buying shares of stock, an investor is buying ownership shares of the company. So, when the company does well, the stockholders typically benefit. When all goes south, the stockholders usually lose out.

This means that, when an investor knows a reasonable amount of information about the company and the industry it’s in, as well as its financial structure, better investment choices can typically be made. Other factors that influence the investor during the decision-making process include the economy, customer profiles of a business, and more.

To glean these types of insights, savvy investors often look at financial reports and figures, in addition to return on equity, when choosing how and where to invest.

Experienced investors will often take their time reviewing documents of companies that interest them, such as the financial reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires public companies to file. These need to be filed quarterly, and they can provide insights into the companies’ financial performances.

Here is an overview of important information that can be found in the different types of financial documents:

•   Income statement: This document provides an overview of a company’s revenue (cash coming in), expenses of significance (cash going out), and the bottom line (the difference between what’s coming in and what’s going out). Consider what trends exist.

•   Balance sheet: Look at the company’s debt (how much they owe). Is the amount going up or down? In what ways? Consider what can be learned about the company’s financial performance from this review.

•   Cash flow statement: What did the company actually get paid in a particular quarter? This is different from what’s owed (accounts receivable) and instead focuses on when the cash arrives to the company. Does the company have steady cash flow?

Investors typically look at a company’s after-tax income (its “earnings”), which can be found in quarterly and annual financial statements. In addition to looking at the company’s current earnings, it can make sense to review its history to see how much earnings have fluctuated and whether there’s a pattern to these fluctuations. Overall, good earnings indicate a company is profitable and may be a good investment to consider.

Another figure to consider reviewing is a company’s operating margins (also known as its “return on sales”). This indicates how much a company actually makes for each dollar of its sales. This calculation involves taking the company’s operating profit and dividing it by net sales. Higher margins are typically better and may indicate good financial management.

Now, here are other financial ratios to consider, besides the return on equity ratio:

•   Price-to-earnings ratio: This allows investors to compare stock prices between companies offering shares. To calculate this ratio, take the market price of a share of stock and divide that number by the amount of earnings that a company is paying per share. This ratio allows investors to see how many years a company may need to generate enough value for a stock buy-back.

•   Price-to-sales ratio: This can be a good metric to use when reviewing a company that hasn’t made much of a profit yet — or one that’s made no profit at all, so far. To calculate this, take the value of the company’s outstanding stock in dollars and divide that number by the company’s revenue. The resulting figure, ideally, should be as close to one as possible. If the number is even lower, this is an outstanding sign.

•   Earnings per share: This metric helps investors to know how much money they might receive if the company liquidates. So, if this number is consistently going up, this may entice more people to buy shares because this at least suggests they’d get more for their investment dollars if liquidation happened.

Earnings per share can be calculated by taking the company’s net income and subtracting a certain type of dividends (preferred stock), and then taking that figure and dividing it by the number of outstanding common stock shares. Preferred stocks don’t have voting rights attached to them like common stocks do, but they receive a preferential status when earnings are paid out.

•   Debt-to-equity: Investors use this metric to try to determine the degree that a company is using debt to pay for its operations. To calculate this figure, take the company’s total liabilities and then divide that number by the total shareholder equity. A high ratio indicates that the company is borrowing to a significant degree.

•   Debt-to-asset ratio: Investors may decide to compare debts to assets of a company — and then compare the resulting ratio with other similar companies to determine how significant a debt load a company has. It may be wise to calculate this within the context of a particular industry.

What Is a Good Rate of Return?

First, consider that, when cash is kept under the mattress at home, the rate of return is zero percent. And, when factoring in inflation, this means the person is actually losing money over time. Keeping money in a checking account can amount to virtually the same thing.

There is no guaranteed return on investment in stocks. That’s because of variations in the market, varying degrees of risk taken by investors, and so forth. There are, however, historical precedents that indicate how stock ownership over the long haul can often allow the investor to weather economic fluctuations for an ultimately positive result. And, when looking at the average annual return on investments for stocks since 1926, that number has been 10%.

A topic mentioned in this post is risk tolerance. This is the amount of risk that a particular investor is comfortable taking — here’s a quiz to help investors determine their risk tolerances. By knowing your risk tolerance, you’ll have a better idea of what’s a “good” rate of return based on the level of risk you’re taking, knowing that higher risk can net higher returns.

Things to consider when determining how much risk to take include:

•   Financial factors: How much could a person afford to lose without it having a negative impact on their financial security? When people are young, they typically have much more time to recover from a big market loss, so they may decide it’s okay to be more aggressive. People closer to retirement age, though, may decide to be more protective of their assets. It’s important to review current financial obligations, from mortgage payments to college tuition, to make an informed decision, as well.

•   Emotional risk: Some people feel energized when taking risks while others feel stressed. A person’s emotional responses to risk taking can play a key role in their risk tolerance when investing.

The Takeaway

Even the most experienced investors can become frustrated when choosing which stocks to buy. By knowing how to calculate return on equity, investors can have a comparative metric to turn to that can help them evaluate and compare different companies.

To use return on equity effectively, however, you’ll need to know where to find the revenant numbers and what to look out for. Also remember the ROE isn’t the only metric to consider — you’ll also want to take into consideration information found in financial documents, other financial ratios, your own risks tolerance, and more.

And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider an online investing platform like SoFi’s to make your investing experience easier. SoFi members can benefit from personalized advice, access to SoFi events, and much more.

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