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Retirement Calculator

You Contribute

Monthly income at 4%$5,750
In today's dollars$2,764
You put in$397,045
Your employer puts in$119,114
Investment growth$1,183,945
This year, you + employer$6,000 + $1,800
$0$500k$1M$1.5M$2MAge 30Age 48Age 67

The 4% rule of thumb. A 1994 study by planner William Bengen found that taking 4% of savings in the first year of retirement, then the same amount raised with inflation each year, lasted at least 33 years in every period of US stock and bond returns he tested from 1926 on, with 50% to 75% in stocks. It's a starting point, not a promise: future returns can be lower than the past, and it doesn't count investment fees. Read the study

2026 IRS limits. 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans: $24,500 a year, plus $8,000 at 50 or older ($11,250 instead at 60 to 63). IRAs: $7,500, plus $1,100 at 50 or older. Your employer's contributions don't count toward your limit. IRS announcement, November 2025

Left out: Social Security, pensions, taxes and investment fees. Contributions go in monthly; growth is at your expected return, credited monthly.

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Estimates for informational purposes only — not financial advice.

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How Much Will You Have When You Retire?

Retirement savings grow from three sources: what you put in, what an employer adds, and investment growth, which over decades can be the largest of the three. This calculator projects your balance to the age you plan to retire, restates it in today's dollars, and shows the monthly income it could pay at a withdrawal rate you choose. It covers saving up to retirement; Social Security, pensions and taxes are left out.

How this calculator works

Projects retirement savings to the age you plan to retire, in future and today's dollars, and the monthly income they could pay at a withdrawal rate.

How it calculates

  1. Works out this year's contributions: a dollar amount, or a share of salary; the employer match is the match rate times your contribution, up to the match limit, as a share of salary.
  2. Each month, adds a twelfth of the year's contributions at the end of the month, rounded to the cent, and credits growth at (1 + expected return)^(1/12) − 1, rounded to the cent.
  3. With contributions set as a share of salary, both yours and your employer's rise each year by the yearly raise. A dollar amount stays the same.
  4. Today's dollars divide the balance at retirement by (1 + inflation)^years.
  5. Monthly income is the balance at retirement times the withdrawal rate, divided by 12, in future and in today's dollars.

What it assumes

  • Social Security, pensions, taxes and investment fees are left out.
  • The return is the same every year; real returns vary.
  • IRS contribution limits are not applied; a note appears when this year's contribution is over the 401(k) limit for your age.
  • The 4% withdrawal rate is a rule of thumb from US market history, not a guarantee.

Sources

Copy and figures last reviewed .

How we build and check all our calculators

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 4% rule?

It is a rule of thumb for how much you can spend from savings. In a 1994 study, financial planner William Bengen found that taking 4% of savings in the first year of retirement, then the same amount raised with inflation each year, lasted at least 33 years in every period of US stock and bond returns he tested from 1926 on. It assumed 50% to 75% in stocks and doesn't count fees, and future returns may be lower, so treat it as a starting point.

How much can I put in a 401(k) or IRA in 2026?

For 2026 the IRS limit for 401(k), 403(b) and governmental 457 plans is $24,500, plus a catch-up of $8,000 at 50 or older, or $11,250 instead at ages 60 to 63. The IRA limit is $7,500, plus $1,100 at 50 or older. Your employer's contributions don't count toward your limit. The IRS announces the next year's limits each fall.

Why does the calculator show today's dollars?

Because prices rise. At 2% inflation, prices roughly double over 35 years, so a balance that sounds large at retirement buys about half as much as the same sum today. Today's dollars divide the future balance by the inflation built up over the years, so you can compare it with what you spend now.

Does the calculator include Social Security or taxes?

No. It projects your own savings only. Social Security and any pension would add to the monthly income shown, and taxes on withdrawals from traditional 401(k) and IRA accounts would take from it. Add your own estimates for those to the monthly figure for a fuller picture.

How does an employer match work?

Your employer adds money when you contribute, up to a limit. With a 50% match up to 6% of pay, every dollar you put in, up to 6% of your salary, comes with 50 cents from your employer. Set your contribution as a share of salary and enter your match to see what it adds by retirement; the results show this year's amounts from you and your employer.

Term Definitions

Your Age

Your age today. The calculator counts the years from now until the age you plan to retire, and uses your age to check your contributions against the IRS limit, which is higher from age 50.

Retirement Age

The age you plan to stop contributing and start drawing on your savings. Every year you work longer adds a year of contributions and growth, and is one less year the savings need to last.

Saved So Far

The total in your 401(k), 403(b), IRA and any other savings set aside for retirement today. It grows at your expected return until you retire.

How You Contribute

In a workplace plan you usually choose a percentage of each paycheck, so as a share of salary your contributions rise with your raises, and so does an employer match. Choose a dollar amount for a fixed yearly sum, such as what you put in an IRA.

Yearly Salary

Your yearly pay before taxes and deductions. Your contributions and any employer match are worked out as percentages of it, and it rises each year by the yearly raise.

Contribution (% of Salary)

The percentage of each paycheck that goes into your retirement plan. Your plan's website or a pay stub shows your current rate.

Yearly Raise

The average raise you expect each year. Contributions set as a share of salary, and the employer match, grow with it.

Employer Match

Some employers add money when you contribute. A 50% match up to 6% of pay means that for every dollar you put in, your employer adds 50 cents, on contributions up to 6% of your salary. Your plan documents state your match.

Match Limit (% of Pay)

The match applies only to contributions up to this share of your salary. Contributing at least this much collects the full match; contributing more still helps, but your employer adds nothing on the extra.

Your Yearly Contribution

The dollar amount you put in each year. It stays the same every year; to model contributions that rise with your pay, choose "% of salary" instead.

Employer Contribution

Any yearly amount your employer adds, such as a match or a profit-sharing contribution. Enter 0 if there is none.

Expected Return

The average yearly return you expect before you retire, after fees if you can. Real returns vary from year to year and no one knows future ones; try a lower and a higher figure to see a range of outcomes.

Inflation

Prices rise over time, so a dollar at retirement buys less than a dollar today. The calculator uses this rate to restate your balance and income in today's dollars. The Federal Reserve aims for inflation of 2% a year over the longer run.

Withdrawal Rate

Your monthly income is this percentage of your balance at retirement, divided by 12. 4% is a rule of thumb from a 1994 study of US market history; the note with the results explains what it assumes. A lower rate makes savings more likely to last.

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