Retirement Calculator

How to use this calculator

Enter your current age and the age you'd like to retire — the gap between them is your runway for saving. Add what you've already set aside in current savings (across 401(k)s, IRAs, and brokerage accounts), then your typical monthly contribution. Pick an annual return you expect your investments to earn, and the annual income you'd like to draw in retirement. The result updates instantly so you can test different scenarios and see what closes the gap.

How this is calculated

We grow your current savings and every future contribution at your chosen return until your retirement age. Your projected nest egg is the future value of those savings: your current balance compounded over the years, plus the stream of monthly contributions compounded along the way. To translate a nest egg into income we apply the 4% rule — multiplying your balance by 4% gives a rough sustainable annual withdrawal. Your target nest egg works backward from the income you want, dividing it by 4% (the same as multiplying by 25). If your projection lands above the target, you're on track; if it falls short, we show the gap.

Educational estimate, not investment advice — see our disclaimer.

A worked example

Suppose you're 30, want to retire at 65, have $50,000 saved, and add $800 a month at a 6% annual return. That's 35 years — 420 months — of compounding. Your existing $50,000 grows on its own while each $800 deposit also compounds for whatever time remains. The projection lands around $1.5 million. At a 4% withdrawal rate that supports roughly $60,000 a year, which happens to match the desired income in this example — so you'd be on track. Nudge the return down to 5% or trim contributions and you'll watch that comfortable margin shrink.

The 4% rule explained

The 4% rule comes from research suggesting a retiree can withdraw 4% of their portfolio in the first year, adjust that amount for inflation each year after, and have a strong chance of the money lasting around 30 years. It's a planning shortcut, not a guarantee — long retirements, poor early returns, or high fees can all argue for a more cautious 3% to 3.5%. The flip side is the handy multiply-by-25 rule: to fund $60,000 a year you aim for about $1.5 million, because $60,000 ÷ 0.04 = $1,500,000.

How much should you have saved by age?

A common rule of thumb is to have roughly 1× your salary saved by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, and 8× to 10× by your late 60s. These are general benchmarks, not hard rules — your number depends on when you want to retire, the lifestyle you expect, and how much guaranteed income you'll have from other sources. Treat them as a quick gut check rather than a target to obsess over.

Closing the gap

If your projection falls short, you have a few levers: contribute more each month, work a couple of extra years so savings compound longer, or trim the income you're planning for. Even small, consistent increases matter because they compound for decades. To dig deeper, our FIRE calculator shows how aggressive saving can move up your retirement date, and the 401(k) calculator helps you make the most of employer-matched contributions before you invest anywhere else.