Plan your retirement by calculating how much you need to save monthly to reach your retirement goal. This tool processes all data locally in your browser. No information is ever sent to any server. Completely free, no registration required.
A Retirement Calculator helps you determine whether you're on track to retire comfortably by projecting your savings growth, estimating retirement expenses, and calculating the monthly withdrawals your nest egg can sustain. In 2026, with the 401(k) contribution limit at $23,000 ($30,500 for those 50+), IRA limits at $7,000 ($8,000 catch-up), and the Social Security full retirement age reaching 67 for those born in 1960+, retirement planning is more complex than ever. The calculator accounts for inflation (currently running ~2.5-3% annually), investment returns, Social Security benefits, and your desired retirement lifestyle. The earlier you start planning, the less you need to save each month — someone starting at 25 needs to save about half as much per month as someone starting at 40 to reach the same retirement goal.
Our calculator models your retirement plan in three phases: the Accumulation Phase (your working years), where regular contributions grow through compound interest; the Distribution Phase (retirement), where you withdraw from your nest egg; and a Bridge Analysis that shows any savings gap. Enter your current age, desired retirement age, current savings, monthly contributions, expected investment return, and estimated retirement expenses. The calculator applies the 4% Safe Withdrawal Rule (adjusted for inflation) to determine sustainable monthly income and compares it against your expense estimates.
Future Value (at retirement) = Current Savings × (1 + r)^n + Monthly Contribution × [(1 + r)^n − 1] / r\n\nWhere:\nr = Monthly Investment Return (annual ÷ 12)\nn = Months Until Retirement\n\nSustainable Monthly Withdrawal = Retirement Nest Egg × 4% ÷ 12\nMonthly Gap = Estimated Expenses − (Sustainable Withdrawal + Social Security + Other Income)
A common guideline is 10-12× your final annual salary saved by retirement age. For example, if you earn $80,000, aim for $800,000-$960,000 in retirement savings. This should provide about 70-80% of your pre-retirement income when combined with Social Security.
The 4% Rule, from the Trinity Study, suggests you can withdraw 4% of your retirement portfolio in year one, then adjust for inflation each year thereafter, and have a very high probability of not outliving your money over a 30-year retirement. For a $1 million portfolio, that's $40,000/year or ~$3,330/month.
Traditional 401(k) gives you a tax break now but you pay taxes on withdrawals. Roth 401(k) uses after-tax dollars but withdrawals are tax-free in retirement. Choose Roth if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement, or if you're early in your career. Many experts recommend having both.
Free online Retirement Savings Calculator — no signup, 100% client-side processing. All data stays in your browser.