Retirement Calculator

Building a retirement projection you can trust

A retirement calculator is a simple model of a complex reality. The tool above takes your current age, target retirement age, starting balance, and monthly contribution, then compounds them at an assumed rate of return. The result is a rough map, not a guarantee.

Why compounding does the heavy lifting

Retirement is a long game. Someone who starts investing at 30 gets roughly 35 years of compounding before a typical retirement age. In the last decade of that run, market growth is usually adding more to the balance every year than the saver personally contributes. That is the payoff for starting early and staying consistent.

Nominal versus real

A million dollars sounds like a lot today. Thirty years from now, it will buy noticeably less because of inflation. This calculator shows both the nominal ending balance and the same balance restated in today's dollars. The real number is the honest one for lifestyle planning, because your groceries, rent, and healthcare will keep going up.

How much difference does an extra hundred dollars make?

More than you probably think. Because contributions early in your career get the full benefit of compounding, small increases now can translate into tens of thousands of dollars later. Try raising the monthly contribution by 100 dollars and watch the ending balance move.

Common assumptions

• Long-run stock returns of 7 to 10 percent are historical, not guaranteed.
• Inflation of 2 to 3 percent is a reasonable long-term planning assumption.
• Employer 401(k) matches are one of the highest return moves available. Capture the full match if you can.

What this tool does not do

It ignores taxes, fees, Social Security, pensions, and market volatility. It also assumes you keep contributing steadily through every downturn. Real portfolios have bumpy journeys. Use the projection as a north star and revisit it every year or two as your income, expenses, and time horizon change.