Retirement Calculator
Enter your age, the age you plan to retire, what you have saved and what you add each month. The calculator projects your balance at retirement and the yearly income a withdrawal rate you choose could provide, in future and in today’s dollars.
Last updated November 4, 2026
Optional, 0 for none
Used for today’s dollars
Result
Balance at 65 = $1,389,535.89
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected balance at 65 | $1,389,535.89 |
| Total contributed (incl. savings) | $260,000.00 |
| Investment growth | $1,129,535.89 |
| Balance in today’s dollars | $585,510.22 |
| Income at 4% withdrawal | $55,581.44 a year |
| Monthly income | $4,631.79 |
| Monthly income in today’s dollars | $1,951.70 |
| Age | Monthly contribution | Total contributed | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | $500.00 | $80,000.00 | $105,725.52 |
| 40 | $500.00 | $110,000.00 | $183,883.43 |
| 45 | $500.00 | $140,000.00 | $293,503.96 |
| 50 | $500.00 | $170,000.00 | $447,252.41 |
| 55 | $500.00 | $200,000.00 | $662,892.57 |
| 60 | $500.00 | $230,000.00 | $965,339.05 |
| 65 | $500.00 | $260,000.00 | $1,389,535.89 |
A projection at one constant return. Real returns vary and can be negative; taxes, fees and the order of returns are not included. A withdrawal rate is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Show the work
Formula: Each year: balance = balance × (1 + return) + monthly contribution × ((1 + return) − 1) ÷ (G − 1), where G = (1 + return)^(1/12). Income = balance × withdrawal rate. Today’s dollars = amount ÷ (1 + inflation)^years.
- Years until retirement: 65 − 30 = 35.
- Yearly growth factor: 1 + 7% = 1.070000; monthly factor G = 1.00565415.
- Contribution stays at $500.00 a month.
- Repeating the yearly step for 35 years, starting from $50,000.00, gives a balance of $1,389,535.89.
- Total contributed: $50,000.00 + monthly contributions over 35 years = $260,000.00; growth = $1,389,535.89 − $260,000.00 = $1,129,535.89.
- Today’s dollars: $1,389,535.89 ÷ (1 + 2.5%)^35 = $585,510.22.
- Income: $1,389,535.89 × 4% = $55,581.44 a year, or $4,631.79 a month ($1,951.70 in today’s dollars).
Result: Balance at 65 = $1,389,535.89
How the projection works
Balance = balance × (1 + r) + monthly × ((1 + r) − 1) ÷ (G − 1), repeated each year
The calculator steps through one year at a time. Your balance grows by the annual return r, and twelve end-of-month contributions are added with their own growth. G = (1 + r)^(1/12) is the monthly growth factor, so the return you enter is treated as an effective annual return. At a 0% return the yearly addition is simply twelve times the monthly contribution.
If you enter a yearly contribution increase, the monthly amount is multiplied by (1 + increase) at the start of each new year, which models raises. Total contributed is your current savings plus every deposit, and growth is the final balance minus that total.
To show purchasing power, the balance is divided by (1 + inflation) raised to the number of years. Sustainable income is the balance times your withdrawal rate, shown per year and per month, and also in today’s dollars.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
Also useful alongside this calculator: Investment Calculator, Inflation Calculator and Annuity Calculator.
Choosing a withdrawal rate
A withdrawal rate is the share of the retirement balance you take out each year. A figure near 4% is sometimes mentioned as an informal starting point, but it is not an official or guaranteed safe rate, and this calculator does not claim any rate is safe. It simply multiplies your balance by the rate you set, so a lower rate gives a smaller income and a better chance the money lasts.
The right rate depends on how long retirement lasts, how markets behave, your other income and your flexibility to spend less in poor years. Try several rates, such as 3%, 4% and 5%, to see how much the yearly income changes.
Nominal versus today’s dollars
Prices rise over decades, so a large future number buys less than it appears to. The today’s dollars figures divide by the inflation rate you enter. If you prefer to work in real terms, set the return to your expected return minus inflation and inflation to 0.
Returns and inflation here are single constant averages. Actual returns vary from year to year and can be negative, and a bad sequence of returns near retirement can matter a great deal.
What this does not include
Taxes, fees, employer matches, Social Security or pensions, and one-off events are not modeled. If your employer matches contributions, add the match to your monthly amount. Treat the result as an illustration to compare scenarios, not a forecast or financial advice. Changing one input at a time, such as retiring a year later or saving a little more, shows which choice moves the result most.
How to use the Retirement Calculator
- Enter your current age and the age you want to retire.
- Enter your current savings and what you contribute each month, plus an optional yearly increase.
- Enter an expected annual return and an inflation rate.
- Set a withdrawal rate and read the balance and income, in future and today’s dollars.
Worked example
A 30-year-old plans to retire at 65 (35 years) with $50,000 saved, $500 a month, a 7% return, 2.5% inflation and a 4% withdrawal rate. Contributions total $50,000 + 35 × $6,000 = $260,000, so growth is about $1,129,536.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected balance | $1,389,535.89 |
| Total contributed | $260,000.00 |
| Investment growth | $1,129,535.89 |
| Balance in today’s dollars | $585,510.22 |
| Income at 4% withdrawal | $55,581.44 a year |
| Monthly income | $4,631.79 |
| Monthly income in today’s dollars | $1,951.70 |
Frequently asked questions
What return should I enter?
Use a cautious long-run average for your mix of investments and test several values. A single number cannot capture real markets, which rise and fall from year to year.
Does the result account for inflation?
The main balance is in future dollars. The today’s dollars rows divide it by the inflation you enter, so you can see what the amount might buy in current prices.
Is the withdrawal income guaranteed?
No. It is the balance multiplied by the rate you chose. Markets, taxes and how long you live all affect whether the money lasts, so treat it as an estimate.
How does a yearly contribution increase work?
The monthly contribution is raised by that percentage at the start of each year after the first, which models saving more as your pay rises.