RetireWise

Retirement calculator: will you have enough?

Enter where you are today. See what you'll have at retirement, what you'll need, and whether the money lasts to the age you plan for.

95 is a cautious default
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Your result

On track

$945k

projected at 67. That covers your $34,000 yearly gap all the way to 95.

You'll need at 67
$684,045
Funded
138%
Left at 95
$513k
$0$275k$550k$825k$1.10M405060708090Retire 67
Retire at 67Age →

Ask about your result

An AI reads the numbers above and explains what they mean for you, in plain English. It only runs when you press the button.

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How the calculator works

It runs your plan one year at a time. While you work, your savings grow at your return minus inflation and your yearly saving is added. From your retirement age, each year's gap (spending minus Social Security and pensions) is taken out and the rest keeps growing at your retirement return.

"You'll need" is the lump sum that would pay that gap every year until your plan-to age, given your retirement return. If your projection beats it, the curve stays above zero to the end. If it falls short, the curve hits the ground and the age where it does is the headline number.

Why a few years later changes so much

Working longer pulls three levers at once: more years of saving, more years of growth, and fewer years to fund. Use the "+2 / +3 / +5 years" buttons on the chart to see it. Delaying Social Security raises your other income too, which the Social Security calculator shows by claiming age.

The 25× shortcut

The quick version of this sum is to multiply the yearly gap by 25. It comes from the "4% rule" in the 1998 Trinity study of US market history, where a 4% first-year withdrawal, raised with inflation, lasted 30 years in most historical periods. Test your own rate with the withdrawal calculator, or stress-test it with the Monte Carlo simulation.

Questions people ask

How much do I need to retire?

Work out the yearly spending your savings must cover after Social Security and any pension, then multiply by roughly 25 for a 30-year retirement (the flip side of a 4% withdrawal rate). Someone who needs $40,000 a year on top of Social Security needs about $1 million. This calculator does the same maths year by year, using your own return and inflation assumptions.

Is this retirement calculator free and private?

Yes. It runs entirely in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere unless you press "Explain my result", which sends only the numbers shown to our AI explainer. Your inputs are remembered on this device only, and you can clear them on the privacy page.

Why are the results in today's dollars?

Every figure is adjusted for your inflation assumption, so $1 million at 67 means the buying power of $1 million now. That keeps the number comparable to your current salary and spending, which is what you actually plan with.

What return should I assume?

A diversified stock-and-bond mix has historically returned around 5–7% a year before inflation over long periods, with large swings. Many planners use 6% while working and 5% in retirement as the portfolio gets more conservative. Try a pessimistic number too; the Monte Carlo calculator shows the range.

What counts as "other income"?

Anything that pays you in retirement without drawing down savings: Social Security, a pension, an annuity, rental income or planned part-time work. Enter the yearly total in today's dollars. Your Social Security estimate is at ssa.gov/myaccount.

Does it include taxes?

Not directly. Enter spending as the gross amount you would withdraw, including the tax on it. Roth money is withdrawn tax-free, so a mostly-Roth saver needs a smaller gross figure; see the Roth vs Traditional calculator.