Retirement Calculator
Project your retirement balance and what it might provide annually.
Your figures
Result
How to use this tool
- Enter your own figures over the defaults — Current age, Retirement age, Saved so far and the rest.
- The answer updates as you type. There is no button, and nothing is sent anywhere.
- Change Annual return on its own to see how much it moves the result — the worked example below shows exactly that.
The 4% withdrawal figure shown comes from research suggesting a portfolio can sustain roughly that rate for 30 years. It is a rule of thumb built on historical US market data, not a guarantee.
How it works
This takes 5 inputs — current age, retirement age, saved so far, added monthly, annual return — and returns projected at retirement, years of saving left, total contributed and at a 4% withdrawal rate. The whole calculation happens in this page as you type: there is no submit button, no request, and nothing stored.
Because it recalculates on every keystroke you can use it as a sensitivity test rather than a one-shot answer. Moving annual return alone from 7 to 8 changes projected at retirement from 1,381,801.67 to 1,739,074.04 — the worked example below sets that out in full.
A worked example
Worked through with the figures the page already has in it: current age of 35 and retirement age of 65, and the rest as shown, giving projected at retirement of 1,381,801.67. These numbers come from running the calculator’s own code, not from being typed in here, so they cannot drift away from what you see on screen.
Starting from:
- Current age: 35
- Retirement age: 65
- Saved so far: 50,000
- Added monthly: 800
- Annual return: 7 %
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected at retirement | 1,381,801.67 |
| Years of saving left | 30 |
| Total contributed | 338,000.00 |
| At a 4% withdrawal rate | 55,272.07 per year |
What happens when one input moves
Holding everything else steady and changing Annual return from 7 % to 8 % — one percentage point — moves the answer like this:
| Figure | 7 % | 8 % |
|---|---|---|
| Projected at retirement | 1,381,801.67 | 1,739,074.04 |
| Years of saving left | 30 | 30 |
| Total contributed | 338,000.00 | 338,000.00 |
| At a 4% withdrawal rate | 55,272.07 per year | 69,562.96 per year |
That is usually the number worth arguing over: it is easier to move than the headline amount, and the difference compounds across the whole term.
Retirement Calculator — frequently asked questions
What is the 4% rule?
A guideline from the 1990s Trinity Study suggesting that withdrawing about 4% of a portfolio in the first year, adjusted for inflation thereafter, historically lasted 30 years. It is debated and depends heavily on market conditions at retirement.
Does this include state pension or social security?
No. Add those separately — they can substantially reduce what your own savings need to cover.
What return should I use?
Something conservative. Many planners use 5–7% nominal for a diversified portfolio, reducing as retirement approaches and the mix shifts toward bonds.
Is this calculator free?
Yes, with no account, no limits and no data collection. It runs entirely in your browser.
Should I rely on this for a financial or medical decision?
No. It is a planning estimate built on standard formulas and stated assumptions. For decisions that matter, speak to a qualified professional who can account for your full circumstances.
How accurate is the Retirement figure?
The arithmetic is exact. With the defaults on this page — current age 35, retirement age 65, saved so far 50000 — it returns projected at retirement of 1,381,801.67. What limits accuracy is the assumptions, not the maths: change annual return to 8 % and the same formula gives 1,739,074.04. Treat it as a well-founded estimate, not a quotation.
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Nothing is sent anywhere. The figures you type stay in this page and are never transmitted or stored — how that works.
Disclaimer. The formula is exact; the answer is only as good as the figures and assumptions above. Not financial, tax, medical or legal advice. Full disclaimer.