Retirement Calculator
Plan retirement four ways in one tool: project your nest egg, find the savings goal you need, see how much you could withdraw each month, and check how long your money would last. Add inflation, pay raises, other income like Social Security or a pension, and an optional readiness check against your target.
Formula
Worked example
Age 30 to 65 (35 years), $25,000 saved, $500/month, 6% return gives n = 420, r = 0.005, a nest egg of about $920,000 that supports roughly $3,070/month under the 4% rule. To instead reach a $1,000,000 goal, the tool solves for the monthly contribution that fills the gap after your current savings grow.
Four ways to plan in one calculator
Most retirement questions are one of four shapes, and this tool answers each. "Project my nest egg" grows your current savings and monthly contributions to retirement. "How much do I need to save?" reverses that math: you set a target balance and it solves the monthly contribution required after your existing savings grow. "How much can I withdraw?" projects the nest egg, then applies a safe withdrawal rate to show a sustainable monthly income. "How long will my money last?" runs a balance down month by month at your withdrawal and return until it reaches zero. Switch modes with the dropdown at the top; the inputs change to match the question.
How the projection works
The calculator grows your current savings to retirement with C(1 + r)ⁿ and adds the future value of your monthly contributions, PMT times [((1 + r)ⁿ - 1) / r], where r is the monthly return and n is the months until retirement. The estimated income applies a safe withdrawal rate, by default the 4% rule, a guideline that an initial annual withdrawal of 4% of the balance has historically lasted around 30 years. Turn on advanced options to step contributions up each year for pay rises, add other income like Social Security or a pension, and discount the result to today’s money using your inflation assumption.
Why starting early matters so much
Because returns compound, a dollar invested at 30 has far longer to grow than a dollar invested at 50. Two savers who contribute the same total can end up with very different balances if one starts a decade earlier. This is why the "how much to save" mode shows a much smaller monthly figure for younger savers: their contributions have more years to compound. If retirement still feels far away, small contributions now are unusually powerful.
What this estimate leaves out
Real retirement planning also weighs taxes, investment fees, the order in which returns arrive (sequence-of-returns risk), and guaranteed income like Social Security or a state pension. Inflation in particular erodes purchasing power, so a seven-figure balance decades from now buys less than it would today; the advanced inflation setting helps you see that in today’s money. Use this as a planning starting point and revisit it as your situation changes.
Common retirement planning assumptions
| Assumption | Common range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-retirement return | 5-7% | Balanced stock and bond portfolio, before inflation |
| In-retirement return | 3-5% | More conservative mix once drawing down |
| Inflation | 2-3% | Long-run average; erodes future spending power |
| Safe withdrawal rate | 3.5-4.5% | Year-one withdrawal from the 4% rule research |
| Income replacement | 70-80% | Share of pre-retirement income often targeted |
| Plan-through age | 90-95 | A cautious life expectancy for longevity risk |
Typical defaults; adjust to your own situation and risk tolerance.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need to retire?
A common rule of thumb is to target 70 to 80% of your pre-retirement income, then work back to a nest egg using a safe withdrawal rate. At a 4% rate, you need roughly 25 times your desired annual withdrawal. Use the "How much do I need to save?" mode to turn a target balance into a monthly contribution.
What is the 4% rule?
It is a guideline suggesting you withdraw about 4% of your retirement balance in the first year, then adjust that dollar amount for inflation each year. Research found this had a high chance of lasting roughly 30 years, though it is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee. You can change the rate under advanced options.
Should I include my employer match?
Yes. If your employer matches contributions, add the match to your monthly contribution in the project and withdraw modes. In the savings-goal mode, subtract the match from the contribution the tool calculates, since the match helps cover it. Matching is effectively free money and meaningfully increases your projected nest egg.
Does this adjust for inflation?
By default it shows future nominal dollars. Turn on advanced options and set an inflation rate to also see your nest egg in today’s money. A useful shortcut is to enter a return net of inflation (your real return) so every figure is already in today’s purchasing power.
How long will my retirement savings last?
Use the "How long will my money last?" mode. It draws the balance down month by month at your withdrawal and return until it reaches zero, then shows the years it lasts and the age it runs out. If your return covers your withdrawals, the balance can last indefinitely.