Free Retirement Calculator — See If You're on Track

Enter your current age, retirement age, savings, monthly contribution, and expected return to project your final nest egg and estimated monthly retirement income.

This free retirement calculator applies the compound interest future value formula to your 401(k), IRA, or any retirement account — showing your projected balance at retirement, estimated monthly income using the 4% rule, and whether you're on track for your target. No sign-up required.

Enter Your Retirement Details

Current Age

Your age today (18–80)

Retirement Age

When you plan to retire (default 65)

Current Retirement Savings

How much you have saved already

Monthly Contribution

How much you add each month

Expected Annual Return

Default 7% (S&P 500 inflation-adjusted avg)

Account Type

Affects labels; math is pre-tax for comparison

What Is a Retirement Calculator?

A retirement calculatorprojects how much money you will have when you stop working, based on your current savings, monthly contributions, expected investment return, and time horizon. It answers the most critical retirement planning question: “Will I have enough?”

Compound interest is the engine of retirement savings. At 7% annual return, money doubles every 10 years (Rule of 72). That means $100,000 saved at age 35 becomes $400,000 by age 65 — without adding a single extra dollar. Every year you delay costs you a doubling cycle.

Two frameworks guide retirement targets: the 4% rule (withdraw 4% of your balance annually in retirement) and the 25x rule (save 25× your expected annual spending). Pair this calculator with the 401(k) calculator and the Roth IRA calculator to model your complete retirement picture.

How to Use This Retirement Calculator

1
Enter Your Current Age and Retirement Age
Your current age determines how many compounding years you have. Retirement age sets the endpoint — most people target 65, but even retiring at 62 vs 67 can reduce your balance by 30–40% due to fewer compounding years and more withdrawal years.
2
Enter Your Current Retirement Savings
Include all retirement accounts: 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, pension cash value, and any taxable accounts earmarked for retirement. If you are just starting, enter $0.
3
Set Your Monthly Contribution
This is how much you plan to add each month going forward. In a 401(k), include your contribution plus any employer match. The IRS limit for 401(k) contributions in 2026 is $23,500 ($31,000 if age 50+).
4
Choose an Expected Annual Return
For a diversified stock index fund, 7% (inflation-adjusted) or 10% (nominal) are standard assumptions. For a balanced 60/40 portfolio, 5–6% is more conservative. For a retirement target-date fund, 6–7% is typical.

Retirement Savings Formula Explained

FV = P × (1 + r/12)^12t + PMT × [((1 + r/12)^12t − 1) / (r/12)]

Where P = current savings, r = annual return rate, t = years to retirement, PMT = monthly contribution. Monthly compounding is used to match typical 401(k) and IRA contribution schedules.

Example: Age 30, $20,000 saved, $500/month, 7% for 35 years: P component = $20,000 × (1.00583)⁴²⁰ = $197,316. PMT component = $500 × [(1.00583⁴²⁰ − 1) / 0.00583] = $904,195. Total FV = $1,101,511.

Real-World Retirement Savings Examples

See how age, savings rate, and time combine to build wealth.

Early Starter: Age 25, $0 Saved, $500/month at 7% for 40 Years

Starting from zero at age 25, contributing $500/month at 7% annual return for 40 years produces a final balance of $1,312,450. Total contributions: $240,000. Investment growth: $1,072,450. Monthly retirement income at 4% withdrawal: $4,375/month. Starting early is the single most powerful retirement move.

Mid-Career: Age 40, $100,000 Saved, $1,000/month at 7% for 25 Years

Starting at 40 with $100,000 already saved, contributing $1,000/month at 7% for 25 years grows to $1,108,436. The existing $100,000 compounds to $542,743, and contributions add $565,693. Monthly retirement income at 4%: $3,695/month. A late start requires larger monthly contributions to compensate.

Late Start: Age 50, $250,000 Saved, $1,500/month at 7% for 15 Years

At age 50 with $250,000 saved, contributing $1,500/month at 7% for 15 years reaches $802,641. The $250,000 principal grows to $688,090, while contributions add $114,551. Monthly retirement income at 4%: $2,675/month. Use 401(k) catch-up contributions ($31,000/year at 50+) to accelerate growth in this window.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do I need to retire?

$1,000,000–$1,500,000 is the most commonly cited target for a comfortable US retirement — based on the 4% rule, $1M generates $40,000/year in income. Your actual number depends on your expected annual spending: multiply your desired annual income by 25 to get your savings target (e.g. $60,000/yr × 25 = $1.5M).

What is the 4% rule for retirement?

The 4% rule states that you can safely withdraw 4% of your retirement portfolio in year one, then adjust for inflation annually, with a high probability the money lasts 30 years. A $1,000,000 portfolio supports $40,000/year; $2,000,000 supports $80,000/year. It is based on the 1994 Trinity Study using 50% stocks / 50% bonds.

How much should I have saved for retirement by age 30, 40, or 50?

Fidelity recommends: 1× your salary by age 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, and 10× by 67. On a $60,000 salary that means $60K at 30, $180K at 40, $360K at 50, and $600K by retirement. These are benchmarks — starting earlier or saving more can offset a late start.

What is a good retirement savings rate?

15% of gross income — including any employer match — is the standard recommendation from most financial planners. Starting at age 25, saving 15% of a $60,000 salary ($9,000/year) at 7% for 40 years produces approximately $1.9M. If you start at 35, you need roughly 20–25% to reach the same goal.

What is the 25x rule for retirement?

The 25x rule says to save 25 times your expected annual retirement spending before retiring. It is the inverse of the 4% withdrawal rule. If you plan to spend $50,000/year in retirement, you need $1,250,000 saved. If you plan to spend $80,000/year, you need $2,000,000. Social Security income reduces the amount you need to save.

How long will $500,000 last in retirement?

$500,000 withdrawing $20,000/year (4% rule) at 5% investment return lasts approximately 40+ years. At $25,000/year it lasts about 30 years. At $40,000/year (8% withdrawal) it runs out in roughly 17 years. Inflation matters: a 3% inflation adjustment on $20,000/year shrinks the effective timeline by 5–8 years.

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