Aren't there too many variables to make this a meaningful poll? Someone with a relatively low net worth (however measured) with a nice pension and SS can have a low ratio yet live very comfortably in retirement.
Another scenario that makes the numbers misleading pertains to me...
I have a good sized rollover IRA. I work full time at a job that has pension coverage (10% contribution) and both 403b and 457, which I max out, and am over 50. That's another $44K for 2011. My salary barely covers this, giving me W2 wages of several thousand dollars (I forget, but maybe 5-6K). I then fill out the 15% tax bracket with Roth conversion, and had mid 5 figure investment earnings. Basically I end up with a taxable income in the low 6 figures but my expenses are maybe $50K, some of which I get from DWs job and pension income, some from assets.
Basically we are FI, but I'm planning to work a few more years to potentially qualify for HI through the pension plan (which is subject to review/change!) and give us some backup, sort of a belt and suspenders approach. One of DW's pensions is with a private non-profit and is both frozen and underfunded (based on my calcs, they don't have to provide the same info as a public pension plan). That means no PBGC backup. They say they will continue to contribute as it winds down, but we'll see. The good news is they just froze it a year ago, so the ones who are more at risk are younger. Any reductions should be well down the road.
That gives me a ratio of something like 7-8 according to the poll request, or 25 according to expenses, or 300 according to W2 wages, which is obviously not as great as it sounds since the W2 is so low. But I can wish, eh?
