Retirement Savings Calculator

Retirement Planning

Required portfolio is the portfolio your spending goal implies once Social Security is subtracted, under the 4% framework. Projected balance is the amount your current savings and monthly contributions are estimated to grow to by retirement at the assumed return. Required monthly contribution is the estimated total monthly contribution needed from now to retirement to reach that portfolio, not an additional amount on top of what you're already contributing. Projected gap or surplus is the difference between your projected balance and required portfolio, showing at a glance whether your current trajectory is projected to fall short or finish above target.

Worked Example

A 35-year-old retiring at 67 with $50,000 already saved and $500/month in ongoing contributions needs a $900,000 portfolio to cover a $60,000/year spending goal after a $24,000/year Social Security estimate. At a 7% average annual return, that $500/month is projected to reach roughly $1,118,030 by 67, above the $900,000 target. The estimated total monthly contribution required to reach the target is lower, about $340/month. All figures above come directly from the calculator's formula; change any input to see how the result moves.

How the Retirement Savings Calculator Works

Six inputs, no account or email required.

Current age and retirement age set how many years your contributions have to grow. Try different retirement ages to see how the timeline changes your monthly number.

Current retirement savings is whatever you already have across 401(k)s, IRAs, and other retirement accounts combined. This amount is projected to keep growing at the assumed return, which lowers the monthly contribution needed to reach the target.

Current monthly contribution is what you're putting toward retirement right now. It's used to project where your current trajectory leads, separately from the monthly amount required to reach the target.

Annual spending goal in retirement is not your current salary. It's what you expect to spend per year after you stop working.

Expected annual Social Security income reduces the amount your portfolio needs to provide. If you don't know your number yet, the average benefit for retired workers was about $2,071/month, or roughly $24,852/year, as of January 2026, according to the Social Security Administration. That average is only a rough default, not your benefit; use SSA's official calculators for a personalized estimate based on your actual earnings record.

How the Math Works

Target formula: (Annual spending minus Social Security) times 25. This comes from the 4% rule, a historical planning guideline originally developed by financial planner William Bengen and later expanded in the Trinity Study. It's a starting-point estimate, not a guarantee, and it may not fit every retirement horizon or portfolio.

Projection: current savings and current monthly contributions are compounded over the years remaining until retirement using the assumed 7% average annual return, a planning assumption rather than an expected outcome; actual returns can be materially higher or lower, and changing the assumption would change the result.

Gap: projected balance minus required portfolio, shown as a shortfall or surplus so you can see your current trajectory against the target at a glance.

Try changing retirement age in the calculator. A later retirement generally gives current savings and contributions more time to compound, which lowers the monthly amount required to reach the same target.

Assumptions and Limitations

Every number this calculator produces is a planning estimate, not a guarantee.

7% average annual return. A long-term planning assumption, not a guaranteed or expected return for any specific portfolio. Actual returns vary year to year, and the result is highly sensitive to this assumption.

4% withdrawal guideline. A historical planning guideline, not a guarantee. It may not fit an early retirement or every portfolio composition.

No inflation adjustment to your spending goal. The projected balance is calculated in future, nominal dollars, the actual dollar amount your account is projected to hold at retirement. The calculator does not automatically inflate today's spending for you. To keep the target and the projected balance in the same dollar terms, enter the annual spending amount you expect to need in retirement-year dollars, meaning already adjusted for inflation between now and retirement, not what that spending would cost in today's dollars.

No taxes. Whether eventual withdrawals are taxed depends on which accounts the money sits in, Traditional or Roth. The calculator estimates a simplified pre-tax portfolio size, not after-tax spending power.

Social Security is your input, not a guarantee. Accuracy depends on how close your entry is to your actual future benefit.

Level spending pattern. Real retirement spending is not flat. It may be higher in the early years, lower in the middle, and higher again later because of healthcare costs. This calculator produces a single target number, not a year-by-year spending plan.

What to Do With Your Number

Once the calculator gives you a target portfolio, a projected balance, and a monthly figure, the next question is usually whether that's realistic given your situation right now. For the reasoning behind the target formula, the savings-rate guideline, and how Social Security changes the number, see how much to save for retirement. To see how your current savings compare with typical balances by age, see retirement savings by age.

FAQ