Retirement Savings Calculator

Project your retirement nest egg from where you stand today — current savings, monthly contributions, expected return and years to go.

What this projection assumes

The calculator grows your balance month by month: each month the portfolio earns one-twelfth of your annual return, then your contribution is added. It reports milestones every five years so you can see the shape of the curve — slow early growth that accelerates sharply in the final decade as compounding dominates.

Two inputs deserve special care. Expected return: a stock-heavy portfolio has historically returned 7–10% per year before inflation. If you enter a nominal return, your results are in future dollars — either subtract expected inflation (2–3%) for a real, today's-dollars view, or interpret the output accordingly. Retirement age: moving from 65 to 60 doesn't just remove five years of contributions — it removes the final, highest-growth years and adds five years of retirement spending. The effect on required savings is larger than most people expect.

From nest egg to retirement income

A nest egg number means nothing until it converts to income. The classic starting point is the 4% rule: withdraw 4% of the balance in year one, then adjust for inflation annually. Historically this made a 30-year retirement highly likely for a balanced portfolio, implying you need roughly 25× your first-year spending saved. If you plan to spend $60,000 a year from your portfolio, that's a $1.5 million target — whatever portion your Social Security or pension doesn't cover.

Compare the calculator's projection against your own 25× target. If there's a gap, the levers in order of power are: raise monthly contributions, extend the timeline a few years, reduce planned spending, and only last, reach for higher (riskier) returns.

Frequently asked questions