Retirement Savings Calculator
Explore retirement scenarios with this educational planning calculator. See basic projections of savings growth and withdrawal patterns from your current age to 90, based on the assumptions you enter. This tool helps illustrate how different savings rates and timelines might affect your retirement planning, but does not account for taxes, healthcare costs, inflation variability, market volatility, or other important factors. Always consult a qualified financial advisor for personalized retirement planning.
Your current age
When do you want to retire?
How much do you live on per month now?
Account for inflation
Include inflation in calculations
We'll estimate your retirement needs as 80% of current expenses. Most retirees spend less due to eliminated work costs, reduced housing expenses, and no longer needing to save for retirement. You can adjust this assumption by changing your monthly expenses above if you expect higher or lower retirement costs.
Other guaranteed income in retirement
Examples: pension, annuity, rental net income. Set start age, end age (blank = lifetime), and whether it has COLA (cost-of-living increases).
One-time deposits
Examples: bonus, sale proceeds, inheritance. You can place them before or during retirement.
Choose your investment strategy
Cash
1.0% return
Cash and cash equivalents like savings accounts and money market funds. Very low risk but also very low returns that may not keep up with inflation over long periods.Money Market
2.5% return
Money market funds and high-yield savings. Low risk with slightly better returns than cash, but still may struggle to keep pace with inflation long-term.CDs
3.5% return
Certificates of deposit and similar fixed-rate investments. Low risk with guaranteed returns, but limited growth potential and inflation risk.Bonds
5.0% return
Low-Medium risk
Growth & Income
7.0% return
Medium risk
Growth
9.0% return
Higher risk
Aggressive
11.0% return
High risk
Higher returns come with higher risk. Consider your timeline and comfort level.
Use different strategy in retirement?
Many retirees shift to more conservative investments to preserve capital
Expected Social Security benefits
Your full retirement age: 67 (based on birth year 1995)
How much have you already saved for retirement?
How much are you saving per month now?
How much does your employer contribute monthly?
Example: If you save $500/mo and employer adds $150/mo, enter 150
The 4 Big Concepts of Retirement Planning
- Time Horizon — How long until you retire (and how long retirement lasts). Change "When do you want to retire?" above to see how extra years amplify compounding and shorten the drawdown period.
- Contributions — What you add each month (plus employer match). Try raising "How much are you saving per month now?" or enable "annual contribution increases."
- Investments & Returns — Expected long-run growth rate. Switch the "investment strategy" to see how "ongoing X% return" affects the needed savings and drawdown.
- Expenses — What you'll spend in retirement. Adjust "How much do you live on per month now?" (we use 80% by default) and optionally turn on inflation to model rising costs.
Tip: tweak just one or two at a time, then check both charts to see how the path changes.