Retirement Calculator
Project how big your retirement savings could grow and what income they might provide. Enter your age, current savings, and monthly contribution, the calculator compounds your savings to retirement and estimates the annual income they could support using the 4% rule.
What this calculator does
It runs two steps. First it grows your current savings plus your monthly contributions at your chosen return, month by month, until your retirement age, that's your projected nest egg. Then it applies the 4% rule to estimate the annual income that nest egg could provide. The monthly figure is before taxes and doesn't include Social Security, so treat it as a floor you're building on, not the whole picture.
The honest caveats
- Returns aren't guaranteed. Use a conservative number and be pleasantly surprised.
- Inflation is real. A dollar decades from now buys less, mentally discount the result.
- The contribution is the lever. You can't control markets; you can control how much you add. Early on, that matters most.
Common questions
How much do I need to retire?
A common rule of thumb is 25x your annual spending, which pairs with the 4% rule: if you withdraw about 4% a year, savings have historically had a good chance of lasting 30 years. Spend $40,000 a year → roughly $1,000,000. A starting estimate, not a promise, your real number depends on taxes, Social Security, and longevity.
What is the 4% rule?
It's a guideline: withdraw 4% of your savings the first year, adjust for inflation after, and the money has historically had a good chance of lasting ~30 years. It's a planning heuristic, not a law, a lower rate is safer, especially if you retire early.
Is it too late to start saving for retirement?
Almost never. Earlier is far better because compounding rewards time, but a higher savings rate partly makes up for a late start, and the worst move is waiting longer. Even in your 40s or 50s, steady contributions and catch-up contributions can change the outcome meaningfully.
Related free tools
- Compound Interest CalculatorSee how your money grows over time with the power of compound interest and regular contributions.
- FIRE CalculatorFind your financial-independence number and the year you could retire early.
- Millionaire CalculatorFind out exactly how much to save each month to reach your first $1,000,000.
This calculator is for education and general information only, not financial, investment, or tax advice. Results are estimates based on the assumptions you enter and do not predict actual returns.