Retirement Calculator

It models retirement in two phases. First it grows your current savings and monthly contributions at your expected return until your retirement age — that is your projected nest egg. Then it simulates spending your desired monthly income through retirement, with the remaining balance still earning a return, and checks whether the money lasts to your life expectancy. The verdict is a clear on-track or shortfall, with the surplus or gap shown in dollars, plus a year-by-year balance chart and table.

There is no single number — it depends on the income you want, how long retirement lasts, your expected return, and how much Social Security covers. A common shorthand is the 25x rule: save about 25 times your annual spending, which roughly supports a 4% withdrawal each year. This calculator is more precise: it simulates your actual drawdown month by month and tells you whether your specific plan sustains your desired income to your life expectancy, rather than relying on a rule of thumb.

Yes. Enter your estimated monthly Social Security benefit and the calculator treats it as guaranteed income starting at your retirement age. That directly reduces the income your savings have to provide — so if you want $4,000 a month and expect $1,900 from Social Security, your portfolio only needs to cover $2,100. You can find your estimated benefit on your ssa.gov account. Modelling a separate Social Security claiming age is handled by our dedicated Social Security Calculator.

Inflation quietly shrinks what your money can buy. Over a 30-plus-year horizon it is the single biggest distortion in any retirement projection — a nest egg that looks large in future dollars is worth far less in today's purchasing power. Enter an inflation rate (the US long-run average is roughly 2–3%) and the calculator also shows your nest egg in today's money, so the headline figure does not mislead you. Note that contributions and withdrawals themselves are not inflation-indexed in this model.

It depends on how your savings are invested. A broad, stock-heavy portfolio has historically returned roughly 7% a year over the long run before inflation; a more conservative mix returns less. The return is an assumption, not a guarantee — it is worth also checking a lower figure, because a single optimistic rate can hide a shortfall. Real markets vary year to year, and the order of good and bad years matters more than the average.

Three levers move the result: save more each month, retire later (more years of growth and fewer years of drawdown), or plan for a lower retirement income. Even a modest increase in monthly contributions, started early, has a large effect because of compounding. Accounting for Social Security, if you have not already, also helps. The calculator updates instantly, so you can test each change and watch the year-by-year chart respond.