Here’s how 6 Americans became 401(k) millionaires

At 22, Mary Woulf was a single mother and a college dropout. She went to a temp agency in search of receptionist work. She tested well, so the agency dispatched her to its best client, a national mortgage lender.

“I was only supposed to be there for three months,” she said. She stayed for 13 years.

Early on, one of Woulf’s colleagues sat her down. “They knew I was just a single mom and trying to work hard,” she said. The mentor told her about the company’s 401(k) program.

“They said, ‘One day you might have a million dollars.’ And I said, ‘A million dollars?’ And it seemed impossible.”

Woulf opened a retirement savings account in 1990. Thirty-six years later, she has a million dollars.

Before her retirement in 2021, Woulf joined the growing ranks of 401(k) millionaires, Americans who attain a seven-figure balance in a workplace retirement plan, an Individual Retirement Account, or some combination of the two.

Fidelity reports a record number of 401(k) millionaires, 769,000, as of mid-2026. The figure covers only Fidelity account holders.

In August 2025, USA TODAY told the stories of six 401(k) millionaires, drawing on interviews and correspondence with dozens of retirement savers…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/money/