Retirement Calculator
Estimate where your savings may stand at retirement, how much to save toward a target, what withdrawals might look like, and how long a balance can last. Results are illustrative only—not tax or investment advice.
How much might you need?
Projects income to retirement, estimates an income goal (as a share of your final pre-retirement income), subtracts other income, and compares a simple “nest egg” target to a projected balance from ongoing savings.
Estimated balance at retirement:
Approx. portfolio needed (4% rule on portfolio-only income):
Final projected income before retirement: · Annual spending goal from that income: · Portfolio income gap (annual):
Savings needed to reach a target
Constant monthly contribution (in today’s dollars) to reach a future goal, using a real return (return minus inflation).
Estimated monthly savings (today’s dollars):
Uses real monthly return = (1+return)/(1+inflation) − 1, with level contributions through retirement age.
Withdrawals in retirement
Grow savings through your working years, then estimate a level monthly withdrawal over retirement using your assumed return and inflation.
Estimated balance at retirement:
Estimated initial sustainable monthly withdrawal (grows with inflation):
Retirement horizon: years. Withdrawal uses real return in retirement.
How long can your money last?
Fixed monthly withdrawal with constant nominal return (does not model inflation on spending).
Estimated months funds last:
About the four tools on this page
The first section projects your nest egg from your current savings rate and compares it to a rough target (based on the "4% rule," which estimates how large a portfolio must be to sustainably support a given annual withdrawal). The second solves for the monthly savings needed to reach a specific dollar goal. The third grows your balance through your working years and then estimates a sustainable inflation-adjusted monthly withdrawal in retirement. The fourth answers a different question: given a balance and a fixed withdrawal amount, how many months will the money last.
Frequently asked questions
What is the "4% rule"? A commonly cited guideline suggesting that withdrawing about 4% of a retirement portfolio 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 point for planning, not a guarantee — actual safe withdrawal rates depend on market returns, portfolio mix, and how long retirement lasts.
Why do some sections use "real" (inflation-adjusted) returns? Because the results are expressed in today's dollars, the calculator needs to account for inflation eroding both your dollar contributions and your future withdrawals — using the real return isolates the actual growth in purchasing power.
Should I count Social Security or a pension as "other income"? Yes — the first tool's "other retirement income" field is meant for exactly that, so the portfolio target reflects only the gap your savings need to cover.