They represent how much the average person 65 and up have saved in retirement accounts, including 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
If you look at median figures, the numbers change even more. The median represents the middle number in a group of numbers. The Federal Reserve data shows that 65 to 74-year-olds have a median of $164,000 in their retirement accounts while those 75 and older have $83,000 saved for retirement.
I went to both of the sources in the article and could not find the supporting data for those amounts quoted.
Not claiming the data is wrong, but I ALWAYS go to the source and never rely on a report to get the information correct. For example, is the median of $164k per account or for all accounts per retiree?
This source, also quoted in the article, seems to imply it is per (Vanguard) account, not per retiree:
