Finance

Free Retirement Calculator - Estimate Your Retirement Savings

Use this free retirement calculator to estimate how much your savings could grow by retirement age, and roughly how long that money might last once you start withdrawing from it. Enter your current age, savings, monthly contributions, and expected return to get an instant projection - a helpful starting point for retirement planning, not a substitute for professional financial advice.

Educational estimate only - not financial advice

Building your retirement savings

Current age

Retirement age

Current retirement savings

Monthly contribution

Expected annual return (pre-retirement)

Projected savings at retirement

Total contributions$0

Total investment growth$0

Years until retirement0

How long could it last

Desired monthly income in retirement

Expected annual return (during retirement)

Estimated savings longevity

0 years

Based on your projected savings and desired monthly withdrawal.

What is a retirement calculator and why it matters

A retirement calculator projects how a starting amount, combined with regular contributions and investment growth, could grow by the time you plan to retire, and then estimates how long that balance might support a target monthly income afterward. This matters because retirement saving is a decades-long project where small differences - starting five years earlier, or contributing $100 more per month - compound into large differences by the time you actually retire. Seeing a rough projection now, however imperfect, makes it far easier to judge whether your current savings rate is on track or needs adjusting, long before retirement is close enough to limit your options. It also makes the trade-offs concrete: seeing the actual dollar gap between retiring at 62 versus 67, or contributing $300 versus $500 a month, is far more useful for decision-making than a vague sense that "saving more is good."

How this calculator works

The savings projection runs a month-by-month simulation from your current age to your retirement age: each month, your existing balance grows by your expected rate of return, and your monthly contribution is added on top, compounding over the full period. The "how long could it last" section then runs the same kind of simulation in reverse - starting from your projected retirement balance, it subtracts your desired monthly income each month while the remaining balance continues to grow at your expected retirement-phase return, continuing until the balance would be depleted or 50 years have passed, whichever comes first. Both phases update instantly as you adjust any input, so you can test different ages, contribution amounts, or return assumptions side by side without re-running anything.

Common searches this calculator answers

How much will my retirement savings be worth by the time I retire?
How much do I need to save each month to retire comfortably?
How long will my retirement savings last once I start withdrawing?
What difference does starting to save earlier actually make?
How much retirement income can $1,000,000 in savings realistically support?
How does my expected rate of return affect my retirement projection?

How to use it

Enter your current age and the age you plan to retire.
Enter your current retirement savings balance and your monthly contribution.
Enter the annual return you expect while still contributing - a long-term diversified average is often used here.
Check your projected savings, total contributions, and total growth at the top of the results.
Enter your desired monthly income and expected retirement-phase return to see the savings longevity estimate below it.

Tips

Run the numbers with a more conservative return estimate as well as an optimistic one - the gap between the two shows your real range of outcomes.
Small increases to your monthly contribution compound significantly over a multi-decade horizon - test raising it by even $50-100 to see the effect.
Retirement-phase returns are often set lower than pre-retirement returns, since portfolios typically shift toward more conservative investments after retiring.
This tool does not account for inflation, taxes, Social Security, pensions, or healthcare costs - all of which materially affect a real retirement plan.
Use this as a starting point for a conversation with a licensed financial advisor, not as a final retirement plan on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Is this retirement calculator free to use?

Yes. It is completely free, runs entirely in your browser, and does not require any sign-up or download.

Is this financial advice?

No. This tool provides an educational estimate based on the numbers you enter and assumed rates of return. It is not personalized financial advice, and you should consult a licensed financial advisor before making retirement decisions.

Does this calculator account for inflation?

No, the projected figures are shown in today's dollars without adjusting for inflation. Since inflation reduces purchasing power over decades, consider using a more conservative expected return to partially account for this, or consult a financial advisor for an inflation-adjusted projection.

Does this include Social Security, pensions, or other income sources?

No. This calculator only projects the savings and contributions you enter. Social Security, pensions, and other retirement income sources are not included and would need to be added separately to get a full picture of your retirement income.

What return rate should I use?

There is no single correct answer, since it depends on your actual investment mix and market conditions. Many long-term projections use a moderate historical average for the pre-retirement phase and a more conservative rate for the retirement phase, but you should base this on your own portfolio and risk tolerance, ideally with guidance from a financial advisor.

Why does the savings longevity show "50+ years" instead of a specific number?

If your expected retirement-phase return is high enough relative to your withdrawal amount, the balance may keep growing faster than you withdraw from it, meaning it would not run out within the 50-year window this calculator checks. This usually indicates a comfortable withdrawal rate relative to your projected balance.

Can I use this if I am close to retirement rather than decades away?

Yes. Set your current age close to your retirement age for a shorter projection window, though with less time for growth to compound, contribution amount and starting balance will have a larger relative effect on the result than the return rate.

Home