Retirement Calculator
Plan how much you need to save for retirement and whether you are on track.
In today's dollars
$1,381,802
projected savings at retirement
Nest Egg Needed (4% rule)
$3,640,894
Shortfall
-$2,259,092
Monthly Income (4% rule)
$4,606
Need (inflation-adj.)
$12,136/mo
Inflation (3%) will increase your desired $5,000/mo to $12,136/mo in 30 years.
Formula
Projects how much you need to save for retirement using a retirement income goal and life expectancy.
Needed = Annual Goal × [1 − (1 + r)^−Years] / r
Worked Example
You want $80,000/year in retirement from age 65 to 95 (30 years) with 6% investment returns:
- Annual need: $80,000
- Years in retirement: 30
- Investment return: 6%
- Needed at 65: ~$1.1 million
Common Questions
What's the 4% rule?
Withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year 1, then adjust for inflation. $1M portfolio = $40k/year. This historically lasts 30+ years.
Should I factor in Social Security?
Yes, but it's uncertain. The average retired-worker benefit is about $2,070/month (2026). Use this calculator for the gap between your goal and Social Security.
What if I can't save $1M?
Start with what you can save now; compound growth does the heavy lifting over 30+ years. Even $500k supports ~$20k/year under the 4% rule.
Key Takeaways
- The earlier you start, the less you need to save monthly due to compound growth.
- Use the 4% rule as a rough guide for withdrawal rates in retirement.
- Account for inflation; $80k needed today might be $194k in 30 years at 3% inflation.