Retirement Savings Calculator
See how much you'll have at retirement based on your savings, contributions, and investment returns.
At Age 65 · 35 years
Projected Savings
$1,475,835
Total Contributed
$260,000
Investment Growth
$1,215,835
Monthly at 4% SWR
$4,919
Years Invested
35
How to Plan for Retirement
This calculator uses the future value formula to project your savings. Your existing balance and monthly contributions both grow at the expected annual return rate, compounded monthly. The formula for the future value of ongoing contributions is , where C is the monthly contribution, r is the monthly return, and n is the number of months. The two components (existing savings and new contributions) are calculated separately and added together.
The 4% safe withdrawal rate (SWR) is the amount research suggests you can withdraw annually without depleting your portfolio over a 30-year retirement. It comes from the Trinity Study, which analyzed historical market returns and found that a 4% annual withdrawal from a stock/bond portfolio has a very high probability of lasting 30 years. Multiply your projected savings by 0.04 and divide by 12 for the estimated monthly income. This calculator does it automatically.
For expected return, 7% is a reasonable baseline for a diversified equity portfolio, representing the long-run historical average after inflation. Use 5–6% for a conservative stock/bond mix, or 8–9% for an aggressive all-equity assumption. The impact of return rate is enormous: $500/month for 35 years at 6% produces $595,000; at 8% it produces $1,006,000, a 69% difference.
A helpful benchmark: financial planners often recommend saving 15% of gross income for retirement, including any employer match. If you start at 25, this is typically enough to retire comfortably at 65 on a diversified portfolio. Starting at 35 may require 20–25% to reach the same goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do I need to retire?
A common target is 25 times your annual expenses (the inverse of the 4% rule). If you spend $60,000/year, you need $1.5 million. If you spend $80,000/year, you need $2 million. This assumes a 30-year retirement. For an earlier or longer retirement, multiply by 30–33× for extra safety margin.
How much should I have saved for retirement by age?
Fidelity's benchmarks: 1× your salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, and 10× by 67. These are rough guides for someone targeting retirement at 67. If you're behind, increasing your contribution rate now has more impact than trying to chase higher returns.
What is the best retirement account to use?
Start with your employer's 401(k) up to the full match. That's a 50 to 100% instant return. Then max an IRA (Roth if you're in a lower tax bracket, Traditional if you expect to be in a lower bracket in retirement). After that, return to the 401(k) up to the annual limit ($23,500 in 2025). HSAs are also excellent for healthcare costs in retirement.
When should I start saving for retirement?
As early as possible. $200/month invested from age 25 to 65 at 7% grows to $525,000. Starting at 35 with the same contributions produces only $243,000, less than half, despite only a 10-year difference. Every decade of delay roughly halves your outcome.