Finance
Retirement Calculator
Projects a retirement balance, where the assumptions carry almost all of the result.
Result
The withdrawal rate is a planning convention, not a guarantee. It comes from historical studies of US portfolios and assumes a diversified mix and a roughly 30-year retirement. This is not financial advice; talk to a licensed adviser before acting on it.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Current savings plus contributions, grown at an assumed return to a retirement date, then drawn down at an assumed withdrawal rate adjusted for inflation. Every stage rests on an assumption, and small changes to any of them move the outcome substantially over a horizon this long.
What moves the number
- Assumed return before and during retirement.
- Contribution rate and how long it continues.
- Inflation assumption.
- Withdrawal rate and longevity assumed.
Where this one goes wrong
A projection over decades compounds every assumption, which means two reasonable sets of inputs can produce outcomes that differ by a factor, and the honest way to read the result is as a range rather than a figure. Run a pessimistic case. The sequence of returns around the retirement date matters disproportionately, since poor returns in the early withdrawal years deplete a balance that later good years cannot restore, and that risk is not visible in a smooth projection. This is arithmetic rather than advice, and retirement planning genuinely warrants a licensed professional.
Before you quote
- Run a pessimistic case alongside the expected one.
- State the inflation and withdrawal assumptions explicitly.
- Take advice from a licensed professional, not a calculator.
Questions
About this calculator
How reliable is a retirement projection?
As a range rather than a figure. A projection over decades compounds every assumption, and two reasonable sets of inputs can produce outcomes differing by a factor, which is why a pessimistic case belongs beside the expected one.
What is sequence of returns risk?
Poor returns in the early withdrawal years deplete a balance that later good years cannot restore, because the withdrawals came out of a shrunken pot. It matters disproportionately around the retirement date and a smooth projection cannot show it.
Is this retirement advice?
No, it is arithmetic on assumptions you supply. Retirement planning involves tax treatment, longevity, health, sequencing and personal circumstances that no calculator sees, and it genuinely warrants a licensed professional.
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How to use this calculator
- Current age. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 38.
- Retirement age. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 65.
- Current retirement savings ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $85,000.
- Monthly contribution ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $1,200.
- Expected annual return (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 7%.
- Withdrawal rate in retirement (%). The share of the balance drawn each year.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to balance at retirement, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Current age | 38 |
| Retirement age | 65 |
| Current retirement savings | $85,000 |
| Monthly contribution | $1,200 |
| Expected annual return | 7% |
| Withdrawal rate in retirement | 4% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Balance at retirement main result | $1,708,093 |
| Annual income it supports | $68,324 |
| Monthly income | $5,694 |
| Years of saving left | 27 |
Over 27 years you would build $1,708,093, supporting about $5,694 a month at a 4% withdrawal rate.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only current retirement savings, this is what happens to balance at retirement. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Current retirement savings ($) | Balance at retirement |
|---|---|
| $42,500 | $1,428,310 |
| $63,750 | $1,568,202 |
| $85,000 example above | $1,708,093 |
| $127,500 | $1,987,875 |
| $170,000 | $2,267,658 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Current age
- A number, between 0 and 100, starting at 38.
- Retirement age
- A number, between 0 and 100, starting at 65.
- Current retirement savings ($)
- A money amount, starting at $85,000.
- Monthly contribution ($)
- A money amount, starting at $1,200.
- Expected annual return (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 50, starting at 7%.
- Withdrawal rate in retirement (%)
- The share of the balance drawn each year.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Balance at retirement | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Annual income it supports | A money figure. |
| Monthly income | A money figure. |
| Years of saving left | A number. |
Rates and terms move
Loan and interest figures assume the rate and term you enter hold for the whole period. Variable rates, fees rolled into the balance and early-repayment terms all change the real cost.
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