Introduction
This retirement calculator shows if your savings are on track. It works in four steps. First, check how ready you are. Then see how your savings can grow. Next, plan the income you will pull out each year. Last, compare Traditional and Roth accounts to lower your taxes.
Just type in your age, your income, what you have saved, and how much you save each year. The tool does the math right away. You get a projected balance at retirement, your monthly income gap or extra, how long your money may last, and how your savings rate stacks up.
Every answer comes with a clear step-by-step solution, so you can see the formulas behind the numbers. Charts and tables show your balance year by year. You can also compare up to three "what if" plans side by side, like retiring at 60, 65, or 67.
Use it to test small changes. Saving 1% more, working two more years, or grabbing your full employer match can add up to a lot. Nothing you enter is saved, and all results are estimates based on the numbers you choose. If you want a broader view first, try our general Retirement Calculator or compare results with the Vanguard Retirement Calculator.
How to use our Retirement Calculator
Enter your age, savings, income, and a few rate guesses, and this retirement calculator shows your projected savings at retirement, your monthly income gap or surplus, how long your money lasts, and your estimated taxes. The tool has four tabs: Evaluate Readiness, Build Savings, Plan Income & Withdrawals, and Tax Planning. Results update as you type.
Tab 1: Evaluate Readiness
Current Age: Type your age today. This sets the start of your savings timeline. Not sure of your exact age in years and months? Use the Age Calculator.
Planned Retirement Age: Type the age you want to stop working. It must be higher than your current age.
Current Retirement Savings Balance: Add up all your retirement accounts and enter one total. The Net Worth Calculator can help you total everything you own.
Annual Household Income (pre-tax): Enter what you and your spouse earn each year before taxes. Paid hourly? Convert it with the Hourly to Salary Calculator.
Current Annual Savings Rate: Enter the percent of your pay you save each year, including any employer money.
Desired Income in Retirement: Pick "% of income" and enter a percent (80% is common), or pick "Dollar amount" and enter the yearly income you want in today's dollars. A Monthly Budget Calculator is a good way to test that number.
Expected Annual Return (pre-retirement): Enter the average yearly growth you expect on your investments. Around 6% is a common guess. See how it compounds with the Compound Interest Calculator.
Expected Inflation Rate: Enter how fast you think prices will rise each year. About 2.5% is a common guess. The Inflation Calculator shows what today's dollars are worth later.
Include Social Security estimate: Leave this switch on to count Social Security in your plan, or turn it off to leave it out.
Estimated Monthly Social Security Benefit: Enter your expected monthly benefit in today's dollars. You can find this on your Social Security statement, or estimate it with the Social Security Calculator.
Tab 2: Build Savings
Current Age and Retirement Age: Enter both ages to set how many years you will keep saving.
Current Savings Balance: Enter what you have saved for retirement right now.
Annual Salary: Enter your yearly pay before taxes. The Salary Calculator can help if your pay is split across periods.
Employee Contribution Rate: Enter the percent of your salary you put in your plan each year. For a deeper look, use the 401k Calculator.
Employer Match Rate: Enter how much your job adds per dollar you save. 50% means 50 cents per dollar.
Employer Match Cap: Enter the highest percent of pay your job will match, such as 6%.
Account Type: Choose Traditional 401(k), Roth 401(k), Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or a taxable brokerage account. This sets the IRS limit used in the results. Account-specific tools include the Roth IRA Calculator, the IRA Calculator, the Roth 401k Calculator, and the 403b Calculator.
Expected Annual Return: Enter the yearly growth you expect on your investments. The Investment Calculator is useful for testing different rates.
Expected Salary Growth Rate: Enter how fast you think your pay will rise each year, such as 2%. The Pay Raise Calculator shows what a raise is worth.
Expected Inflation Rate: Enter your inflation guess so the tool can show today's dollar value.
Tab 3: Plan Income & Withdrawals
Projected Savings at Retirement: Enter the balance you expect on your first day of retirement. You can copy the number from Tab 1 or Tab 2, or build it with the Future Value Calculator.
Retirement Age: Enter the age you start taking money out. Thinking about stopping sooner? See the Early Retirement Calculator.
Life Expectancy (End of Plan Age): Enter the age your plan should last until. Many people use 90. The Life Expectancy Calculator can help you pick a number.
Desired Monthly Retirement Income (pre-tax): Enter the total monthly income you want.
Estimated Monthly Social Security: Enter your expected monthly benefit. The rest must come from your savings. To pick a claiming age, try the Social Security Break-Even Calculator.
Expected Annual Return in Retirement: Enter a growth rate for your money after you retire. It is often lower than before, such as 4%.
Expected Inflation Rate: Enter your inflation guess so your withdrawals can rise over time.
Withdrawal Strategy: Choose a fixed percent of your balance, a fixed dollar amount that grows with inflation, or a bucket plan that holds five years of cash. Compare payout paths with the Retirement Withdrawal Calculator and the How Long Will My Money Last Calculator.
Account Type Mix: Choose All Traditional, All Roth, or Mixed 50/50. This changes how much of your withdrawal is taxed. After age 73, check the RMD Calculator for required withdrawals.
Federal Filing Status: Choose Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, or Head of Household for the tax estimate.
Tab 4: Tax Planning
Current Annual Income (pre-tax): Enter your yearly pay before taxes to find your tax bracket. The Tax Bracket Calculator shows where you land.
Current Federal Filing Status: Pick how you file your taxes now.
Annual Contribution — Traditional Account: Enter the dollars you put in pre-tax accounts each year.
Annual Contribution — Roth Account: Enter the dollars you put in Roth accounts each year. Moving money between the two? See the Roth Conversion Calculator.
Current Age and Expected Retirement Age: Enter both to set how long your money can grow.
Expected Income in Retirement (pre-tax): Enter the yearly income you think you will have after you retire.
Expected Tax Rate in Retirement: Enter the tax rate you expect to pay later. This drives the Traditional versus Roth comparison. The Effective Tax Rate Calculator can help you set it.
Expected Annual Return: Enter the yearly growth rate for both accounts.
Compare Scenarios: Click this button at the top to test up to three plans side by side, such as retiring at 60, 65, or 67.
Retirement Planning: What You Need to Know
Retirement planning means saving money now so you can pay your bills later, after you stop working. Most people need money from three places in retirement: their own savings, Social Security, and sometimes a pension or part-time work. The goal is simple — build a pot of money big enough to replace your paycheck for the rest of your life. If you have a defined benefit plan, the Pension Calculator estimates that piece.
How Much Income Will You Need?
A common rule is to plan for about 70% to 85% of the income you earn today. Some costs drop, like commuting and saving for retirement itself. Other costs rise, like health care and travel. Prices also go up over time. That is called inflation. At 2.5% inflation, something that costs $100 today costs about $164 in 20 years, so your future income goal is bigger than it looks. The Cost of Living Calculator helps if you plan to move.
How Savings Grow
Money in a retirement account earns returns, and those returns earn returns too. That is compound growth. It is why time matters more than the size of any single deposit. Starting five years earlier can add tens of thousands of dollars, even if you save the same amount each year. Many experts suggest saving 15% of your pay, including any money your employer adds. The Rule of 72 Calculator shows how fast money doubles, and the Savings Calculator tracks steady deposits.
Free Money From Your Employer
Many jobs offer a 401(k) match. For example, your employer may add 50 cents for every dollar you put in, up to 6% of your pay. If you save less than 6%, you give up part of that match. Saving at least enough to get the full match is one of the easiest wins in retirement planning. Federal workers can run the same math with the TSP Calculator.
Traditional vs. Roth Accounts
- Traditional 401(k) or IRA: You skip taxes now and pay taxes when you take the money out.
- Roth 401(k) or IRA: You pay taxes now, and qualified withdrawals later are tax-free.
The choice comes down to tax rates. If your tax rate will be lower in retirement, Traditional usually wins. If it will be higher, Roth usually wins. Since no one knows future tax rates, many savers keep money in both. That is called tax diversification, and it gives you more control over your tax bill each year. Run both sides with the Roth Calculator and the Income Tax Calculator.
Contribution Limits
The IRS caps how much you can put in each year. For 2026, the 401(k) employee limit is $24,500, plus an extra $8,000 catch-up if you are 50 or older. The IRA limit is $7,500, plus $1,100 catch-up. Taxable brokerage accounts have no cap. Limits change most years. Health savings accounts have their own cap — see the HSA Calculator — and college savings run through the 529 Calculator.
Taking Money Out
Once you retire, you need a withdrawal plan. Three common ones:
- Fixed dollar amount: You take the same amount each year, raised for inflation. Steady income, but the money can run out.
- Fixed percentage: You take a set percent of your balance. The money lasts, but your income moves up and down with the market.
- Bucket strategy: You keep a few years of spending in cash and leave the rest invested, so a bad market year does not force you to sell.
The old "4% rule" says a portfolio can often support withdrawals of about 4% in the first year, adjusted for inflation, for roughly 30 years. It is a starting point, not a promise. Returns, inflation, and how long you live all change the answer. Test it with the 4% Rule Calculator, and if you want a guaranteed stream, compare the Annuity Payout Calculator.
Taxes in Retirement
Withdrawals from Traditional accounts count as ordinary income. Up to 85% of Social Security benefits can be taxed too, depending on your total income. Roth withdrawals do not add to your taxable income. Planning which account to tap each year can lower the taxes you pay over your whole retirement. The Taxable Social Security Benefits Calculator and the Capital Gains Tax Calculator cover two common surprises.
Ways to Close a Gap
If your plan falls short, you have a few strong levers: save a higher percent of your pay, work a couple of extra years, delay Social Security to get a bigger monthly check, lower your spending goal, or check that your investment mix fits your time frame. Small changes made early usually beat big changes made late. Paying off debt frees up cash too — see the Debt Payoff Calculator — and an Emergency Fund Calculator keeps you from raiding retirement savings. If you are aiming to stop working well before 65, the FIRE Calculator and Coast FIRE Calculator are worth a look.
These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions you enter. Real returns vary year to year. Talk with a licensed financial or tax professional before making big decisions.