A walkthrough, end to end.
- 1
Enter your current age, retirement age, current portfolio balance, monthly contribution, and expected annual return.
- 2
The calculator runs the future-value annuity formula and shows your projected balance at retirement.
- 3
Compare against the 4% rule (annual withdrawal target) to gauge whether you're on track.
Retirement projection
Projects future portfolio value using starting balance + regular contributions at the assumed real return rate. Then compares against the 25× rule (4% safe withdrawal): nest egg ≥ 25 × annual spending.
What you can do with this.
401(k) projection
Max out the employer match first ('free money'). At a 4% match, contributing 4% to get the full match and then more at your target rate is the dominant strategy. The calculator handles total contributions including employer match.
Roth vs. Traditional IRA
Same growth math — only the tax timing differs. Roth: pay tax now, withdraw tax-free. Traditional: deduct now, pay tax on withdrawal. Roth wins for most younger savers; trad wins if you'll be in a much lower bracket in retirement.
The 4% rule
A common safe-withdrawal rate: spend 4% of your starting nest egg each year (adjusted for inflation). Multiply your retirement spending by 25× to get the target nest egg. The calculator helps you see the gap.
FIRE (financial independence) target
FI is reached when nest egg × 4% covers expenses. At 25× expenses, you're FI. Use the calculator to figure out the timeline at your savings rate — high savers can hit FI in 10–20 years.
Catch-up contributions (50+)
401(k) catch-up: extra $7,500/yr at 50+ ($23K + $7.5K = $30.5K total in 2026). IRA catch-up: extra $1,000/yr. Use these aggressively if you're starting late.
Sequence-of-returns risk
A bad market in your first retirement years can devastate the portfolio. The calculator assumes constant returns; layer this with Monte Carlo (FICalc, Engineering-Your-FI) for retirement-imminent planning.
Inflation in projections
Use a real return (~4–7%) for inflation-adjusted projections. If you use nominal (~7–10%), divide future balance by ~(1.03)^years for real purchasing power.
Retirement calculator 2026 — what's current
10-year forward expected returns from major firms (Vanguard, BlackRock) for 60/40 portfolios cluster at 4–6% real, below historical averages. Plan with conservative assumptions; pleasant surprises are nicer than shortfalls.
Frequently asked.
Trinity-study originals supported 4% over 30-year retirements with a 95%+ success rate. More-conservative recent research suggests 3.3–3.7% for 40-year retirements (e.g., FIRE crowd). 4% remains the broadly-cited starting point.
For all-stock portfolios over 30+ years: 7% real (10% nominal). For 60/40: 5% real. For 40/60 or more bonds: 3–4% real. Pick the rate matching your asset allocation.
Reduces the nest egg you need. The average benefit is ~$1,900/mo (~$22.8K/yr) — that's ~$570K of nest egg under 4% rule. Subtract from your target. Don't assume future benefits unchanged though; the trust fund faces headwinds.
No. Calculations run entirely in your browser.