Retirement Calculator
How much do you need to retire? Enter your age, savings, and monthly contributions — the calculator projects your nest egg at retirement, converts it into sustainable monthly income with the 4% rule, flags any shortfall against the lifestyle you want, and charts both the growth years and the drawdown years. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Growth phase, then drawdown at 4% of the nest egg per year until age 95.
Assumes a fixed annual return, end-of-month contributions, constant 4% withdrawals in retirement, and no taxes, fees, pensions, or Social Security. The 4% rule is a rule of thumb based on historical research, not a guarantee your money will last. This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making decisions.
How to use this calculator
- Current age & retirement age — the number of years between them is your compounding runway. Every extra year both adds contributions and gives the whole balance another year of growth.
- Current savings — what you already have in retirement accounts today (401(k), IRA, taxable accounts earmarked for retirement).
- Monthly contribution — what you save each month, assumed invested at the end of each month.
- Expected annual return — your portfolio's average yearly growth. A stock-heavy portfolio might use 7–8% nominal; a conservative mix, 4–5%. When in doubt, model the lower number.
- Expected inflation — used only to show the nest egg "in today's dollars," so a far-off number still feels real.
- Desired monthly income — optional. The calculator compares the 4% rule income against it and tells you the monthly shortfall or surplus.
- Retire 5 years later — shows how much bigger the nest egg gets with five more years of contributions and compounding. Often the single biggest lever you control.
The formula behind it
The nest egg combines the annual growth of your current savings with the future value of monthly contributions (ordinary annuity, monthly compounding):
Nest egg = P × (1 + r)t + PMT × (((1 + r/12)12t − 1) / (r/12))
Sustainable monthly income uses the 4% rule: nest egg × 0.04 ÷ 12. The drawdown chart withdraws 4% of the starting nest egg each year while the remaining balance keeps growing at the expected return.
Learn more: How Much Do You Need to Retire? The 4% Rule Explained and 401(k) vs. Roth IRA in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule is a retirement rule of thumb from research by William Bengen (1994): withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement, then adjust that amount for inflation each year after. It was designed around a roughly 50/50 stock-and-bond portfolio lasting about 30 years. It is a planning starting point, not a guarantee.
How much should I have saved by age?
Common benchmarks suggest roughly 1x your annual salary saved by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, and 8x by 60. These are rough rules of thumb from the financial industry — your own target depends on spending, pensions, Social Security, and when you plan to retire.
Should I prioritize my 401(k) or a Roth IRA?
A widely used order of operations is: first contribute enough to your 401(k) to capture the full employer match, because that is an immediate return. Beyond that, the choice often comes down to taxes — Roth accounts tend to suit people who expect to be in a higher tax bracket later, while traditional pre-tax accounts tend to suit peak earners. Our 401(k) vs. Roth IRA guide walks through the 2026 limits and the trade-offs.
What return assumption is realistic?
US stocks have returned roughly 10% per year nominally (about 7% after inflation) over very long periods, but a balanced portfolio earns less, and any single 30-year stretch can differ a lot. Many planners model 5–7% nominal for a mixed portfolio. Using a conservative assumption is safer than an optimistic one — and past performance is not indicative of future results.
Can I retire early (FIRE)?
Early retirement is mostly a savings-rate problem: retiring at 45 instead of 65 means fewer compounding years and more years of withdrawals, so the required savings multiple is higher (often discussed as 25x annual expenses or more, with withdrawal rates below 4%). The math is the same as this calculator uses — only the inputs change.