Retirement calculator

Project retirement savings and monthly income.

Last updated: January 7, 2026

Built and maintained by Aaron Jegla

Reviewed for accuracy against IRS, SSA, and BLS publications as of January 2026.

Estimate long-term retirement savings with inflation-adjusted projections, employer match, and Social Security.

See your target balance, monthly income gap, and how long savings could last based on your withdrawal rate.

Retirement details

Enter your age in years.

When you plan to start withdrawals.

Used to estimate how long savings may last.

Include 401(k), IRA, and other retirement balances.

Used for salary-based contributions and replacement-rate targets.

Nominal growth including inflation (set to 0 if flat).

Estimate combined benefits in today's dollars.

Rental income, part-time work, or annuities in today's dollars.

Your desired monthly spending in today's dollars.

Optional cushion in today's dollars for healthcare, taxes, or caregiving.

Used to estimate sustainable income from savings.

Choose how you want to model your retirement contributions.

Your own 401(k) or IRA contribution rate.

Example: enter 50 for a 50% match.

Match applies up to this percent of salary.

Auto-escalation in percentage points (ex: 1 adds 1% per year).

Nominal return before inflation.

Lower returns are common in retirement.

Used to show values in today's dollars.

Expense ratios or advisory fees reduce returns.

For long-term retirement projections with steady contributions and returns.

Not for tax-specific planning or variable pensions. Try our other calculators for shorter-term goals.

How to use this calculator
  1. Enter your ages, current savings, and income details.
  2. Choose a contribution method and add employer match if available.
  3. Set return, inflation, and fee assumptions.
  4. Define your retirement income target and other income sources.
  5. Select Calculate to review the balance path and income gap.

Select Calculate to see your balance path, income gap, and yearly projection.

Summary

This calculator provides a simplified projection based on steady contributions and constant returns. Real-world outcomes vary due to market volatility, changing income, taxes, and policy changes. Use results as a planning reference—not a guarantee.

All summary values are shown in today's dollars.

Projected balance at retirement

$0

Target balance needed

$0

Monthly income available

$0

Monthly gap vs target

$0

Assumptions: 0% return, 0% inflation, 0% fees.

Sources: Social Security retirement benefits, BLS Consumer Price Index (inflation), Investor.gov compound interest calculator, SSA plan for retirement, IRS 401(k) and profit-sharing plan contribution limits

Assumptions: Contributions are added monthly at period end. Employer match is calculated as a percent of employee contributions capped by salary. Salary-based contributions and spending targets rise with salary or inflation assumptions. Returns are constant and net of fees. Social Security and other income rise with inflation. Withdrawals occur monthly and increase with inflation. Taxes, penalties, and RMDs are not modeled.

Disclaimer: Estimates only and not financial advice. Compare results with your plan provider or a qualified advisor before making decisions.

Retirement balance path

Inflation-adjusted balance shown in today's dollars.

Balance (today's dollars) Age
Projected balance Better than expected Worse than expected Target balance at retirement

Hover to see your balance by age.

  • Projected balance includes contributions and employer match.
  • Target balance at retirement comes from your spending gap and withdrawal rate.
  • All values are shown in today's dollars for easier comparisons.
  • Better and worse lines assume returns are 1% higher or lower than your inputs.

Projected balance at retirement

$0

Based on your inputs.

Better than expected (+1% return)

$0

Assumes returns are 1% higher.

Worse than expected (-1% return)

$0

Assumes returns are 1% lower.

Yearly projection

Inflation-adjusted values in today's dollars.

Age Phase Contributions Withdrawals Investment growth Ending balance

How this calculator works

It combines compound growth with a withdrawal-rate target.

Target balance at retirement

Target balance = Annual spending gap / Withdrawal rate

The annual spending gap is your target monthly spending plus extra costs minus Social Security and other income, multiplied by 12.

  • Inputs are treated as today's dollars and adjusted forward to retirement.
  • If the gap is $0, the target balance is $0.
Monthly balance growth

Balance next month = Balance * (1 + r_m) + Contribution

r_m is the net monthly return after fees. Contributions are added at the end of each month.

  • Salary-based contributions rise with salary growth and auto-escalation.
  • Monthly contribution mode grows by your contribution increase rate.
Employer match

Match = Salary * min(Employee %, Match cap) * Match %

The match is calculated monthly from salary and only applies up to the match cap.

  • If you contribute less than the cap, the match scales down.
  • Set match or cap to 0 if your plan does not match.
Inflation adjustment to today's dollars

Today's dollars = Future amount / (1 + inflation)^years

This keeps results comparable in current purchasing power.

  • Social Security and income sources rise with inflation.
  • If inflation is 0%, today's dollars equal future dollars.
Retirement withdrawal path

Withdrawal month t = Base withdrawal * (1 + inflation)^t

During retirement, the balance earns the retirement return and then withdrawals are applied.

  • Withdrawals grow with inflation each month.
  • The runway ends when the projected balance reaches $0.

How this calculator differs

Designed to surface tradeoffs instead of a single-point promise.

Inflation-adjusted outputs

Results are translated into today's dollars so purchasing power is easier to compare.

Explicit fee modeling

Investment fees reduce the return rate directly so you can see their long-term drag.

Monthly modeling

Contributions and withdrawals are modeled monthly instead of yearly shortcuts.

No account required

Inputs stay in your browser and are not tied to a user profile.

Retirement insights and assumptions

Quick context to help you interpret the results.

Inflation assumptions matter

Inflation affects both your spending needs and income sources, so adjust the rate to reflect your outlook.

  • Adjust the inflation rate to match your outlook.
  • Use conservative assumptions to reduce surprises.

Employer match matters

Matching contributions can add years of growth. Make sure the match rate and cap reflect your plan documents.

  • Match is capped at a percent of salary.
  • Auto-escalation helps close contribution gaps.

Fees quietly compound

Even small expense ratios reduce long-term growth.

  • Include advisory fees or fund expense ratios.
  • Compare results with and without fees.

Retirement income sources

Social Security, pensions, and rental income lower the amount you need to withdraw from savings.

  • Enter income in today's dollars.
  • Use a conservative estimate if unsure.

Withdrawal rate and longevity

Longer retirements and market dips can pressure a 4% plan.

  • Test a 3% to 4% range for resilience.
  • Increase life expectancy to see longevity risk.

Example inputs to try

Use these to sanity-check the math before adjusting.

  • Age 35 to 67, $65k saved, 8% contribution, 7% return
  • Age 45 to 65, $180k saved, $900 monthly, 6% return
  • Age 30 to 62, $25k saved, 6% return, 3% inflation

Retirement calculator FAQs

Click a question to expand the answer.

Does this calculator adjust for inflation?

Yes. Inputs and outputs are shown in today's dollars after inflation adjustments.

How does the employer match work here?

Match equals your contribution percent (capped by the match cap) times the employer match rate.

What return rate should I use?

Pick a long-term estimate for your mix and test a 5% to 7% range.

Does this include taxes or healthcare costs?

Taxes and Medicare premiums are not modeled; use extra monthly costs to add a cushion.

How is the target balance calculated?

Target balance = annual spending gap / withdrawal rate.

Will my savings last the full retirement period?

The projection shows if and when the balance reaches $0.

Why might my results differ from other tools?

Differences come from contribution timing, inflation handling, fees, and income assumptions.

Are contributions added at the beginning or end of the month?

Contributions are added at month end.

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