Retirement Calculator
See what your savings could become by retirement — and what monthly income that nest egg might support.
Projected nest egg
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Total contributions
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Investment growth
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Monthly income (4% rule)
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Total balanceYour contributions
See what your savings could become by retirement — and what monthly income that nest egg might support.
The single biggest lever in retirement planning is not your fund choice or your return — it is how many years your money compounds. Put $500 a month into an account earning 7% a year from age 25 to 65 and you end up with about $1.3 million, even though you only contributed $240,000. Start at 35 instead and the same $500 a month reaches roughly $600,000. The ten-year delay costs you more than half the final balance, which is why every retirement guide eventually says the same thing: start now, even with a small amount.
The calculator's monthly income figure uses the widely known 4% rule: in your first year of retirement you withdraw 4% of your nest egg, then adjust that amount for inflation each year after. On a $1 million balance that means $40,000 a year, or about $3,333 a month. It is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee — it was designed around a 30-year retirement funded by a mix of stocks and bonds — but it turns an abstract lump sum into something you can compare with your current spending.
For a portfolio heavily invested in stocks, 7% a year after inflation is a commonly used long-term planning figure in the US (roughly 10% nominal returns minus 3% inflation). If you keep most of your money in cash or bonds, use a lower figure — 3–4% is more realistic. Being honest here matters more than being optimistic: a plan built on 10% that delivers 7% leaves you short, while a plan built on 6% that delivers 8% leaves you pleasantly surprised. When in doubt, run the numbers twice — once at your hoped-for return and once two points lower.
For a rough sense of whether you are on track, Fidelity's widely used guideline suggests aiming to have saved 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60 and 10x by 67.
Fidelity's guideline suggests 1x your annual salary saved by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60 and 10x by 67. These assume you save 15% of income from age 25 and retire at 67. They are milestones, not pass/fail grades — being behind at 40 is fixable by saving more or retiring slightly later.
A rule of thumb that says you can withdraw 4% of your retirement savings in year one, then adjust for inflation each year, with the money lasting about 30 years. On $800,000 that is $32,000 in the first year, or about $2,667 a month.
No — the projection is nominal and pre-tax, like most retirement calculators. To think in today's money, subtract expected inflation (around 2–3%) from your assumed return. Taxes depend on whether your savings are in a 401(k), IRA or taxable account.
Yes. Add the match to your monthly contribution above — it is part of what goes into your account each month, and it is effectively free money. A common 50% match on 6% of salary is worth thousands a year.
No. Treat Social Security (or the UK State Pension) as a top-up on top of this number rather than baking it in — that keeps your plan conservative if benefits change.
Change the retirement age above and watch the result. Each extra working year adds twelve more contributions, another year of compounding on the whole balance, and one fewer year your savings need to fund. Delaying from 65 to 67 often moves the needle more than any fund choice.