Retirement Calculator

It depends on your desired lifestyle, retirement age, expected expenses, inflation, investment return, and other income sources. A common starting estimate divides your annual retirement income need by a safe withdrawal rate — for example, needing $60,000 a year at a 4% withdrawal rate points to a goal of about $1,500,000. This calculator runs that math for you automatically using the inputs you provide.

The 4% rule is a simple retirement income guideline suggesting a retiree can withdraw about 4% of their initial portfolio balance each year without depleting it too quickly, adjusting for inflation in later years. It's a rough planning heuristic rather than a guarantee, since actual sustainable withdrawal rates depend on market returns, sequence of returns, and how long the money needs to last. This calculator lets you adjust the withdrawal rate to see how that assumption changes your goal.

Yes. It inflates your desired monthly retirement income forward using your chosen inflation rate and the number of years until retirement, so the income goal reflects what that lifestyle is likely to cost by the time you actually retire rather than what it costs today.

No. The results are simplified, pre-tax estimates and don't account for fees, market volatility, or account-specific rules such as those governing traditional versus Roth retirement accounts. Tax treatment of retirement withdrawals varies significantly by account type and jurisdiction, so it's worth confirming your specific situation with a tax professional or financial adviser.

Yes. Use the Other Monthly Retirement Income field to include estimated pension payments, Social Security-style benefits, rental income, or any other recurring income you expect to receive during retirement. The calculator subtracts this from your income need before figuring out how much your savings alone need to cover.

Use a realistic long-term estimate based on your actual investment mix rather than a best-case number. A conservative, bond-heavy portfolio typically supports a lower expected return, while a stock-heavy portfolio might justify a higher expected return alongside more year-to-year volatility. The calculator also shows conservative and optimistic scenarios alongside your expected return so you can see a plausible range rather than a single point estimate.

A large projected gap usually comes from some combination of: a high desired retirement income relative to current savings, a retirement age that's coming up soon, low current savings or monthly contributions, or an inflation assumption that's outpacing your expected investment return. Increasing monthly contributions, extending your working years, or adjusting your desired income are the main levers for closing the gap.