Minnesota Retirement Income from the Tooth Fairy
Delta Dental of Minnesota

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Press Release Logo Delta Dental of Minnesota


August 19th, 2015

Minnesota Retirement Income from the Tooth Fairy

New Analysis Finds Under The Pillow Savings Could Yield Billions in Retirement Money for Today’s 6 Year Olds in Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minn. (August 19, 2015) – It turns out a good source for retirement income for today’s kids in Minnesota may be right under their pillow. According to a new analysis out today from Delta Dental of Minnesota, if today’s 6 year olds invest all the money they receive from the Tooth Fairy, they could be sitting on a combined total of roughly $1,237,392,450 by the time they reach 67, the traditional retirement age.

That could mean a whopping $21,000 per child when current 6 year olds in Minnesota hit retirement age, if, that is, they invest all their Tooth Fairy earnings. Delta Dental’s 2015 The Original Tooth Fairy Poll® found the Tooth Fairy visited 81% of homes in the United States, meaning out of the current 72,745 6 year olds, about 58,923 likely received gifts.

The retirement income figure is based on a 6EyearEold (average age for 1st tooth loss) receiving the national average Tooth Fairy gift of $4.36 (from Delta Dental’s most recent survey of U.S. parents of 6E12 year olds), with 6.5% inEmouth inflation (the typical increase for Tooth Fairy gifts from year to year) for each subsequent tooth, and a 9.6% return on investment based on historic stock market returns (S&P 500 average) per year until they turn 67.

By region, the retirement savings will vary in line with the average 2014 Tooth Fairy gift:

  • Northeast: $20,477 (average 2014 Tooth Fairy gift of $4.16)
  • Midwest: $13,910 (average 2014 Tooth Fairy gift of $2.83)
  • South: $25,362 (average 2014 Tooth Fairy gift of $5.16)
  • West: $23,004 (average 2014 Tooth Fairy gift of $4.68)

According to Delta Dental’s Original Tooth Fairy Poll®, the average Tooth Fairy gift reached a record high last year, up 24.6% from 2013 when the average gift was $3.50.

To learn more about oral health and its impact on overall health, please visit http://www.deltadentalmn.org/oral-health.

About Delta Dental of Minnesota:

Delta Dental of Minnesota is an independent, taxEexempt, nonprofit health services company that serves the oral health needs of Minnesota and North Dakota residents. Since 1969, Delta Dental of Minnesota has accomplished this mission by providing the best access across the state to oral health care through affordable dental plans. Delta Dental is an authorized licensee of the Delta Dental Plans Association of Oak Brook, Illinois. To learn more, go to www.deltadentalmn.org.