Retirement Calculator
Project your savings at retirement, adjust for inflation, and see a rough yearly income your balance could support.
How the retirement calculator works
The calculator starts with your current savings and adds your contribution and your employer's contribution every month until your retirement age. The balance grows at the annual return you enter, applied evenly across the months. It then shows two numbers: the balance in future dollars, and the same balance in today's dollars after adjusting for inflation, which is the more useful figure for planning.
Example
A 35-year-old retiring at 67 with $50,000 saved, who contributes $700 a month with a $300 employer contribution, earning 7% a year, reaches about $1,800,297 at 67. With 2.5% yearly inflation that is worth about $816,922 in today's money.
A rough income from your savings
The calculator shows what a 4% withdrawal would give you each year. The 4% rule comes from historical research on US stocks and bonds. It suggests that withdrawing about 4% of your balance in the first year, then adjusting for inflation, has generally lasted around 30 years. It is a rough guide, not a guarantee, and your own spending, investments and retirement length will differ. Withdrawals from a traditional 401(k) are also taxed as ordinary income, so the amount you can spend is lower than the figure shown.
2026 401(k) limits
For 2026 the limit on your own 401(k) contributions is $24,500. People aged 50 and older can add a catch-up contribution of $8,000. Employer contributions do not count toward your personal limit. If you save in other accounts as well, the calculator does not require you to stay under this limit.
What is not included
Social Security, pensions, taxes on withdrawals, fees and the order of returns are not modeled. Markets do not return a steady 7% each year, so real results will be higher in some years and lower in others.
This calculator is for general planning and is not investment or tax advice. A financial professional can help with your full situation.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need to retire?
It depends on your spending. A common starting point is to estimate yearly spending in retirement, subtract expected Social Security or pension income, and divide the rest by 0.04 to see a rough target balance.
What return should I assume?
Use a cautious figure. Many planners test 5% to 7% a year, then check the result at a lower number to see how much it changes.
Why show the result in today's dollars?
Prices rise over time, so a large number decades from now buys less than it does today. The inflation-adjusted figure shows what the money could buy at current prices.
Does the employer contribution count toward the 401(k) limit?
Not toward your personal limit. Your own deferrals have their own limit, and a separate overall limit covers employee and employer contributions together.