🏖️ Retirement Savings Calculator
Project your balance at retirement age, plus an estimated retirement income.
About this tool
Unlike a general investment projector, this tool is anchored to two ages — your current age and your target retirement age — and adds one extra step: estimating a rough annual retirement income from the projected balance, using the commonly cited "4% rule" (withdrawing about 4% of a balance per year is often cited as a sustainable long-run rate, though it's a guideline, not a guarantee).
If you just want a general "what will this amount grow to" projection without the retirement-specific framing, the Investment Calculator is the more direct tool. For a simple lump-sum with no ongoing contributions, use the Compound Interest Calculator.
Worked example
Starting at age 30 with $20,000 saved, contributing $400 a month, targeting retirement at 65 with a 7% average return, projects to a balance of roughly $687,000 at retirement — with an estimated sustainable retirement income of about $27,500/year under the 4% rule.
How to use it
- Enter your current age and target retirement age.
- Enter your current savings balance and monthly contribution.
- Enter an expected annual return rate and press Project retirement savings.
Tips
- A commonly used long-run stock market average is around 7% after inflation, but actual returns vary year to year.
- The 4% rule is a widely cited starting point, not a rule that guarantees your money will last — it depends on market conditions, how long retirement lasts, and your actual spending.
- This doesn't account for taxes, employer match, Social Security, or inflation-adjusted contribution increases — treat it as a rough guide, and add employer match directly into your monthly contribution figure.
FAQ
What's the "4% rule"?
A commonly cited guideline suggesting that withdrawing about 4% of a retirement balance in the first year, then adjusting for inflation each year after, has historically had a good chance of lasting 30 years — it's a starting reference point, not a guarantee.
How is this different from the Investment Calculator?
This tool is framed specifically around retirement: it takes your current and target retirement age, and adds an estimated sustainable retirement income on top of the projected balance. The Investment Calculator answers the more general "what will this grow to" question without that retirement-specific framing.
Does this include Social Security or a pension?
No — this only projects the balance from your own contributions and growth, and the income estimate is based purely on that balance.