🏖️ Retirement Calculator

Project your 401(k) or retirement savings and see how much monthly income it could provide.

Savings at retirement—
Monthly income (4% rule)—
Your contributions—
Employer contributions—
Investment growth—
Your savings & contributionsEmployer matchGrowth

Show year-by-year projection
AgeSalaryContributionsBalance

How to use the retirement calculator

  1. Enter your age, planned retirement age and what you've already saved in retirement accounts.
  2. Add your salary and the percentage you contribute to your 401(k), IRA or pension.
  3. Enter your employer match. For example, "50% of contributions up to 6% of salary" means match = 50 and limit = 6.
  4. Choose an expected return. Use about 7% for a stock-heavy portfolio, or lower for a more conservative mix.

How the projection works

Each year, your contribution (salary × contribution %) and your employer's match are added to your balance, and the whole balance grows by the expected return. Your salary rises by the annual increase you set, so contributions grow over time too. Monthly retirement income is estimated with the 4% rule:

Monthly income ≈ Savings at retirement × 4% ÷ 12

Example: a 30-year-old earning $70,000 who saves 10%, gets a 50% match up to 6%, and earns 7% a year could have roughly $1.85 million by 65. That supports about $6,150 a month under the 4% rule, before Social Security.

Why starting early matters

Thanks to compound growth, money invested in your 20s and 30s does far more work than money invested later. Someone who invests $5,000 a year from 25 to 35 and then stops can end up with more at 65 than someone who invests $5,000 a year from 35 to 65, despite contributing a third as much.

Ways to boost your retirement savings

  • Always capture the full employer match. It's free money.
  • Raise your contribution by 1% each year or every time you get a raise.
  • Use tax-advantaged accounts such as a 401(k), IRA or Roth IRA in the US, an ISA or SIPP in the UK, or an RRSP/TFSA in Canada.
  • Keep fees low. A 1% yearly fee can cost you hundreds of thousands over a career.

Projections are estimates based on constant returns. Real investment returns vary year to year, and figures are not adjusted for inflation or taxes. This is not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I need to retire?
A common rule of thumb is to aim for 25 times your expected yearly spending in retirement, which lines up with the 4% withdrawal rule. If you expect to spend $50,000 a year beyond Social Security or pensions, that means about $1.25 million.
What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule suggests you can withdraw about 4% of your savings in the first year of retirement, then adjust for inflation each year, with a high chance of your money lasting 30 years. It's a planning guideline, not a guarantee.
What return should I assume?
Long-term stock market returns have historically averaged around 10% a year before inflation, or roughly 6%–7% after inflation. Using 6%–7% with today's dollars gives a more realistic picture of future buying power.
Should I always get the full employer match?
In almost every case, yes. An employer match is an instant 50%–100% return on the money you contribute, which no other investment reliably offers. Contribute at least enough to get the full match.
Does this include Social Security?
No. This calculator only projects your own savings. Add your expected Social Security or pension income on top of the estimated monthly income shown.