Retirement Calculator

Project how much your retirement savings will grow and what monthly income you can expect.
Includes the 4% withdrawal rule, inflation adjustment, and milestone tracking.

Compound growth · Inflation-adjusted · 4% rule · Savings milestones
Retirement Calculator
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Include employer 401k match
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7% = historical S&P 500 real return. Use 5–6% for conservative.
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How Much Do You Need to Retire?

The answer depends entirely on your expenses. The standard framework is the 4% Rule: multiply your expected annual expenses by 25 to get your target nest egg. Spending $60,000/year in retirement requires $1.5M.

The power of time

At 7% annual return, money doubles every ~10 years. A 25-year-old with $0 who saves $500/month will have more at 65 than a 35-year-old saving $1,000/month. The math favors starting early over saving more.

2026 contribution limits

  • 401(k): $23,500/year ($31,000 if age 50+)
  • IRA / Roth IRA: $7,000/year ($8,000 if age 50+)
  • SEP-IRA (self-employed): $70,000 or 25% of compensation

Max out tax-advantaged accounts before investing in taxable brokerage. The tax savings compound just as powerfully as investment returns.

Related: Budget Calculator · Debt Payoff Calculator · Take Home Pay Calculator

FAQ

Retirement planning questions

How much do I need to retire?
The 4% Rule: multiply your annual expenses by 25. $50K/year in retirement = $1.25M needed. $80K/year = $2M. This gives you a ~96% historical success rate of not running out of money over 30 years.
What is the 4% withdrawal rule?
In retirement, withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year 1, then adjust for inflation each year. Based on the Trinity Study (1998), this strategy survives 30+ years in ~96% of historical 30-year periods using a 50/50 stock/bond portfolio.
What return rate should I use?
7% is the approximate historical real return of the S&P 500 after inflation. For a diversified 80/20 stock/bond portfolio: ~6–7%. Conservative estimate: 5%. Never use nominal returns without subtracting inflation — real purchasing power is what matters.
How does Social Security affect retirement planning?
Social Security replaces roughly 40% of pre-retirement income for average earners — less for high earners. Full retirement age is 67 for those born after 1960. Claiming at 62 reduces benefits permanently by ~30%; waiting until 70 increases them by ~24%. Use SSA.gov's My Social Security for a personalized estimate.