Retirement Savings Calculator

Key results explained

Projected savings at retirement

Your balance on the day you retire, after years of growth and contributions. Shown in future dollars and in today's dollars.

Retirement number

A target equal to 25 times the yearly spending your savings must cover after Social Security. It is the portfolio size at which a 4% first-year withdrawal covers that spending.

Income at 4%

Four percent of your projected savings (today's dollars), shown per month. It is a quick way to compare your savings with your spending.

Years it lasts

A month-by-month test of withdrawals against growth after inflation. It tells you roughly how long your savings could fund your spending.

Monthly saving to reach it

The monthly contribution that would make your projected savings equal your retirement number, using the same return and inflation assumptions.

The 4% income and the lasts-test use different methods, so they can disagree slightly. The first is a rule of thumb, while the second follows your own return, inflation and time horizon. When they differ, treat the cautious one as your planning number.

The 4% rule and your retirement number

A widely used starting point is the 4% rule. It came from historical research (William Bengen in 1994, followed by the Trinity study in 1998) on 30-year retirements using US stock and bond returns. In that research, withdrawing 4% of the starting portfolio in year one, then raising the dollar amount with inflation, would have lasted 30 years in most historical periods. Future returns may differ, so it is a guide, not a guarantee.

Social Security makes a big difference. The table uses the average retired-worker benefit ($2,071 a month) and the average for a couple who both receive benefits ($3,208 a month) from the January 2026 SSA estimates¹. Your own benefit will differ, so check your statement.

What moves your number

• Spending. This is the biggest lever. Every extra $1,000 a month of spending adds about $300,000 to the 25× number.
• Social Security and pensions. Guaranteed income reduces how much your savings must supply.
• Retirement age. Retiring later gives you more years of saving, fewer years of withdrawals and, for Social Security, a higher benefit.
• Healthcare. Costs before Medicare at 65 and out-of-pocket costs after it can be significant. Plan for them in your spending.
• Taxes. Withdrawals from traditional accounts are generally taxed as income. Roth withdrawals follow different rules.
• Flexibility. The ability to spend less in down markets or earn some income lowers the savings you need.

The core formulas

All results are computed at full precision and rounded only for display. Annual rates are converted to equivalent monthly rates, so the yearly return you enter is the yearly growth you get.

1. Monthly rate

2. Balance at retirement

This repeats for every month until retirement. The tool also shows how much of the balance came from contributions and how much from growth.

3. Today's dollars

4. Real return in retirement

Spending and Social Security are entered in today's dollars and are assumed to keep pace with inflation. Working in real terms lets the calculator test withdrawals that rise with inflation without needing a long list of future dollar amounts.

5. Does it last?

The loop ends when the balance cannot cover a month's withdrawal. If the real return on the balance is at least as large as the withdrawals, the tool reports that savings are projected to last indefinitely.

6. Monthly saving to reach your number

The target is your retirement number converted into future dollars. The result is rounded up to the next dollar.

Assumptions

• Contributions are flat. They stay the same each month and are added at month end. Raises would increase your result.
• Withdrawals start at the beginning of each month. This is slightly more cautious than withdrawing at month end.
• Returns are constant. Real markets are volatile, and the order of returns matters, especially early in retirement.
• Taxes and fees are not included. Treat results as pre-tax and before investment costs.
• Social Security begins at retirement. If you claim later than you retire, your savings must bridge the gap.
• A 100-year cap. The test stops at 1,200 months, which is more than any realistic retirement.

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1
   Enter your current age and retirement age. The difference is the number of years your savings can grow.
2. 2
   Enter your current retirement savings. Add up 401(k), 403(b), IRA and similar accounts you are saving for retirement.
3. 3
   Enter your monthly contribution. Include any employer match. Use the amount you can sustain.
4. 4
   Choose return and inflation assumptions. A return before retirement of 5% to 7% and 2% to 3% inflation are common starting points. Try a lower return as a stress test.
5. 5
   Enter retirement spending in today's dollars. Use what you expect to spend each month, including healthcare and taxes.
6. 6
   Enter Social Security in today's dollars. Use your estimate from ssa.gov. Enter 0 if you want to see the result without it.
7. 7
   Read the results and compare scenarios. Check the status message, the chart and the comparison table. Then print or copy the results to save them.

How long you save matters most

Compounding works on time. The table shows what a steady monthly contribution could become at a hypothetical 7% annual return, starting from $0, before inflation. Real returns vary and are not guaranteed.

The 30-year column is far more than three times the 10-year column. Growth builds on earlier growth.

The cost of waiting

The next table saves $1,000 a month from $0 until age 65 at a 7% return and 2.5% inflation. Starting later means fewer years of contributions and less growth.

A lower or higher return moves the answer

Using the default plan (age 35, retire at 65, $50,000 saved, $1,000 a month, $5,000 spending and $2,000 Social Security), here is how the before-retirement return changes the outcome. Inflation is 2.5% and the return in retirement is 5%.

A difference of a few points in return changes the result by hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is why a conservative assumption is a useful stress test.

Retiring earlier or later

Same plan, different retirement ages. Each extra year adds contributions and growth and removes a year of withdrawals. Social Security is held constant here to isolate the effect of your own savings. In real life it rises if you wait to claim.

Key facts

The average monthly retired-worker benefit was about $2,071 in January 2026, after the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment, and about $3,208 for an aged couple who both receive benefits¹. Your own amount depends on your 35 highest-earning years and when you claim.

Claiming early gives you more payments over time but each one is smaller. Claiming later gives larger payments. The best age depends on your health, other income, marital status and needs, so look at your own estimates and consider speaking with a qualified professional.

• Earnings test. If you claim before full retirement age and keep working, benefits can be temporarily withheld above $24,480 of earnings in 2026¹.
• Spousal and survivor benefits can change the best strategy for couples.
• Enter a realistic number. If you are unsure, run the calculator once with your estimate and once with 0 to see how much you rely on it.

2026 limits

Roth IRA eligibility phases out for higher incomes: between $153,000 and $168,000 for single filers and $242,000 to $252,000 for married couples filing jointly in 2026². Employer matches do not count against your own deferral limit.

Rules and limits change and depend on your circumstances. Confirm details with the plan administrator or the IRS before acting. This is general information, not tax advice.

Strengths and limits of the 4% rule

The 4% rule gives a simple starting point, and the calculator shows it as "income at 4%". It also has limits that matter.

• It assumed 30 years. Early retirees may need a lower rate. Late retirees may be able to use a higher one.
• It assumed a mix of stocks and bonds and fixed inflation increases in spending, which most people do not follow exactly.
• Sequence risk is real. Poor returns early in retirement hurt more than poor returns later, even if the average is the same.
• Taxes and fees were not part of the research.
• People do not spend evenly. Many retirees spend more early and less later, apart from healthcare.

Flexible approaches

Some retirees use guardrails: they keep spending steady unless the portfolio rises or falls beyond set limits, and then adjust by a small percentage. Others spend a fixed percentage of the current balance each year, or use guaranteed income (Social Security, pensions or annuities) to cover essentials and invest the rest. The calculator's comparison table helps you test how much flexibility is worth.

Five levers

Many people feel behind. The good news is that several levers combine. The table uses a fictional 55-year-old with $120,000 saved, $1,000 a month in contributions, $4,500 of spending and $2,100 of Social Security, at a 7% return before retirement, 5% after and 2.5% inflation.

• Use catch-up contributions. At 50 and over, higher limits apply to 401(k) and IRA accounts².
• Work a little longer, or part-time. Each year adds savings, delays withdrawals and can raise Social Security.
• Delay Social Security if it fits your situation. A larger benefit lowers the amount your savings must supply.
• Right-size housing and big costs. Housing is often the largest expense, so it has the largest effect on your number.
• Build the plan in steps. Raise contributions each time you get a raise, and revisit the numbers once a year.

Different starting points

These examples are illustrations, not recommendations. All use a 7% return before retirement, 5% after, 2.5% inflation and a 30-year retirement.

Try each in the calculator. Jordan benefits mostly from time, Alex and Sam from a large existing balance and a high savings rate, and Priya from a later retirement age and catch-up contributions.

Protecting your long-term savings

Retirement accounts are meant to stay invested. Without a cash cushion, a job loss, medical bill or car repair can push you to withdraw early, which can mean taxes, penalties and lost growth. Most planners suggest building a starter emergency fund and capturing any employer match at the same time.

Use our Emergency Fund Calculator to choose a target, and the Emergency Fund Savings Goal Calculator to see how long it will take to build. Your situation may call for a different order, so treat this as general information.

Eight pitfalls

• Ignoring inflation. A large future number may buy much less than it appears to. Compare results in today's dollars.
• Assuming a high return. Use a conservative case as well as an optimistic one.
• Forgetting healthcare. Costs before and after Medicare can be a large part of spending.
• Overlooking taxes. Traditional account withdrawals are generally taxed as income.
• Missing the employer match. It is a rare, immediate benefit.
• Claiming Social Security without a plan. The age you claim changes your benefit for life.
• Cashing out when changing jobs. Roll the balance over instead, when it fits your situation.
• Never updating the plan. Re-run your numbers at least once a year and after big life changes.

Key terms

401(k)

An employer-sponsored retirement plan, often with an employer match.

403(b) / 457

Similar workplace plans for schools, nonprofits and some government employers.

Catch-up contribution

An extra amount people 50 and older can add above the standard limit.

COLA

Cost-of-living adjustment applied to Social Security benefits.

Full retirement age

The age at which you receive your full Social Security benefit. It is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later.

IRA

Individual retirement account, either Traditional or Roth.

Inflation

The general rise in prices over time, which lowers what a dollar can buy.

Real return

Investment return after subtracting inflation.

RMD

Required minimum distribution from certain retirement accounts, starting at age 73 under current rules.

Sequence risk

The risk that poor returns early in retirement do lasting damage.

Today's dollars

Amounts adjusted for inflation so they can be compared with prices now.

Withdrawal rate

The share of your portfolio you take out in a year.