What is the ideal lumpsum amount for retirement planning?

There is no single ideal lump sum amount for retirement planning. The appropriate lumpsum investment for retirement depends on several factors:

• Age: The younger you are, the lower the lump sum needs to be due to the benefit of long-term compounding. As retirement approaches, larger lump sums are needed.
• Existing Retirement Corpus: The target lump sum amount should factor in other retirement investments you may already have.
• Income Needs in Retirement: The lump sum amount should be enough to generate annual income to cover your retired lifestyle.
• Risk Appetite: Higher equity exposure allows for a lower lump sum but is suited for investors with higher risk tolerance.
• Asset Allocation: Lump sum investment should allow adequate asset allocation between equity, debt, gold, etc, to balance risk and returns.

As a general guideline, investing a lump sum amount equal to 2-4 times your annual income needs in retirement can create a retirement corpus capable of generating reasonably sustainable income.

However, it's best to use retirement calculators or take professional advice based on your specific situation and risk profile before deciding on the lumpsum investment amount for retirement.