Estimate how much you need to retire comfortably. Enter your current age, savings, and expected expenses to see if you're on track — and what adjustments could help.
Projected at 65
$6.9M
Required corpus
$750k
Status
On track
A common rule of thumb is the 4% rule: you need 25 times your annual expenses saved to retire safely. If you spend $50,000 per year, that's $1.25 million. This assumes a diversified portfolio and a 30-year retirement horizon. Your actual number depends on your lifestyle, location, and healthcare needs.
Starting to save for retirement in your 20s vs. your 40s can mean the difference between comfortable and stressful retirement. Thanks to compound growth, every year of delay requires significantly higher monthly contributions to reach the same goal.
Younger investors can typically afford a higher stock allocation (80-90%) for growth. As retirement approaches, gradually shifting to bonds and cash reduces volatility. Target-date funds automate this transition based on your planned retirement year.
Required corpus = Annual retirement expenses ÷ 0.04 (the 4% rule)
This calculator estimates your required retirement savings using the 4% safe withdrawal rate. It projects your current savings forward with compound growth from monthly contributions and investment returns, then compares the projection to your required corpus. The chart shows whether you're on track to meet your retirement goal.
A 30-year-old earning $6,000/month, contributing $2,500/month to retirement, with $30,000 already saved at 7% return: by age 65, the portfolio projects to approximately $3.8 million. If retirement expenses are $4,000/month ($48,000/year), the required corpus is $1.2 million — well on track. But if they wait until 40 to start with the same savings, they'd only reach about $1.5 million.
Adjust the retirement expenses slider to reflect your expected lifestyle — not just your current expenses. Healthcare costs typically increase significantly in retirement.
If the projection shows a gap, try increasing your monthly contribution by even $200. Small increases early have outsized impacts due to decades of compounding.
Don't forget Social Security income. While this calculator shows the full amount you need saved, Social Security may cover 20-40% of retirement expenses for many Americans.
Run this calculator annually as your income and savings change. The earlier you spot a shortfall, the easier it is to correct.
If you're behind, focus on the three levers: increase contributions, delay retirement by a few years, or reduce planned retirement expenses.