If You’re Making $400,000 Per Year, Maxing Your 401(k) Won’t Be Enough

Send us Fan MailMaxing Your 401(k) Isn’t Enough: Building Flexibility for High EarnersHunter Kelly, a CFP and founder of Palm Valley Wealth Management, explains that while maxing out 401(k)s and other retirement accounts is great early-career advice, it can become incomplete for mid-career high earners who want options before age 60. Using a story about David and Sarah, a high-income healthcare couple earning about $400,000 with two young kids, he shows how they accumulated nearly $3 million in retirement accounts yet still felt tight and unable to reduce work because most of their wealth was locked up for 15–20 years. He argues the goal shifts from accumulating money to positioning it for flexibility, including building taxable brokerage investments and liquidity to support life changes. He emphasizes financial freedom as having choices along the way, not just retirement.00:00 Welcome and Format Change00:57 Meet David and Sarah01:41 Doing Everything Right02:01 Why It Still Feels Tight03:14 Early Career Advice Works04:22 When Income Grows Complex04:50 Retirement Accounts Trap05:57 Flexibility Over Tax Perks08:23 From Accumulation to Positioning08:48 Building Liquidity Options09:24 Peace of Mind and Choices10:25 Wrap Up and DisclaimerCheck out the Palm Valley Wealth Management WebsitePalmValleywm.comCheck us out on InstagramLinkedIn FacebookListen to the Podcast Here! AppleSpotify