Retirement projections backed by research
Savings rates, withdrawal strategies, and Social Security estimates reference SSA, IRS, and industry benchmarks.
Updated annually after IRS contribution limits and SSA COLA announcements.
Retirement Calculator - How Much Do I Need to Retire?
Plan your path to financial freedom. Calculate exactly how much you need for comfortable retirement with our comprehensive retirement planning calculator.
Compliance & privacy checklist
Inputs stay in your browser. Projections are educational and not fiduciary advice.
4-step retirement planning workflow
Move from loose assumptions to dollar-specific cash flows.
1. Audit your baseline
List pensions, Social Security estimates, brokerage balances, and spending so you know today's burn rate.
2. Quantify the income gap
Use the planner to compare expected expenses vs. inflation-adjusted retirement income and highlight deficits.
3. Stress-test withdrawals
Model different market returns, COLA assumptions, and healthcare shocks to measure sequence-of-returns risk.
4. Export to ROI & AI tools
Send the withdrawal plan to ROI and AI calculators to sync investing moves, annuities, and part-time income ideas.
Social Security
Integrated benefit calculation
Healthcare Costs
Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket expenses
Inflation Adjustment
Focus on real purchasing power
Multiple Income Streams
401(k), IRA, pensions, and brokerage accounts
Plan Basics
Most planners assume age 90; adjust for health and family history.
How savers use this planner
Real scenarios that link retirement math with ROI and AI assistants.
Coast-FIRE couple verifying glide path
Dual-income household wants to semi-retire at 52.
- •Profile: $280k invested, $2.5k monthly contributions, targeting $1.2M.
- •Plan: Increased Roth conversions, reduced discretionary travel, opened a bridge account for ages 52–59½.
- •Result: ROI calculator confirmed a 6.2% blended return hits $1.25M by age 51.8; AI planner tweaked cash-flow buffers.
Late starter using catch-up contributions
Single parent age 48 wants to retire at 63 without selling the house.
- •Profile: $90k salary, $140k in a 401(k), pension estimated at $1k/month.
- •Plan: Maxed catch-up limits, added part-time consulting, and used the reverse calculator to schedule upcoming tuition.
- •Result: Planner projects $48k/year income with a $6k gap that the AI calculator covered via expense laddering.
Connect retirement plans to action
Send withdrawal schedules to ROI and AI calculators so investment returns, annuities, and lifestyle spending stay aligned.
Understanding Retirement Planning
Popular Retirement Rules
4% Rule:
Withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement and adjust for inflation thereafter. A $1M portfolio supports roughly $40k per year.
25x Rule:
Target retirement savings equal to 25 times your desired annual spending. Need $50k per year? Aim for $1.25M.
70% Income Rule:
Plan to replace 70-80% of pre-retirement income to maintain your lifestyle while accounting for reduced expenses.
Age-Based Allocation:
Bond allocation ≈ your age. At 60, hold about 60% bonds and 40% equities to balance risk.
Core income sources
- •Social Security: Average $1,827 per month in 2024
- •401(k)/403(b): Tax-deferred workplace plans
- •Traditional IRA: Individual retirement account
- •Roth IRA: Tax-free withdrawals in retirement
Supplemental income options
- •Pension: Defined benefit plans (where available)
- •Part-time work: Consulting or gig income
- •Rental income: Real estate investments
- •Annuities: Guaranteed lifetime income
Retirement healthcare costs
Average annual costs
- • Medicare Part B: ~$2,100 per year
- • Medicare Part D: ~$600 per year
- • Medigap supplemental plan: ~$1,800 per year
- • Out-of-pocket: $3,000+ per year
Total medical funding needed
A 65-year-old couple retiring today should plan for about $315,000 in lifetime healthcare costs (Fidelity, 2024).
How much do I need to retire? — Complete planning guide
Retiring on a $100k salary
If you earn $100k, target $70-80k per year in retirement income. The 25x rule suggests saving $1.75M-$2M, plus roughly $30k per year from Social Security.
401(k) calculator with employer match
Maximize your match by contributing at least the amount your employer matches. A 50% match on the first 6% is an instant 3% raise.
FIRE early retirement scenario
For Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE), save 25-50% of income. Retiring at 50 often requires ~37.5x annual expenses and an aggressive investment mix.
Retirement planning with inflation
Assume 2.5-3% annual inflation. Something that costs $100 today may cost $180 in 20 years. We adjust projections so you see real purchasing power.
Comprehensive retirement planning checklist
- ✓ Estimate retirement expenses (70-80% of current income)
- ✓ Max out 401(k) contributions (limit $23,000; $30,500 age 50+)
- ✓ Contribute to IRAs (limit $7,000; $8,000 age 50+)
- ✓ Review expected Social Security benefits
- ✓ Budget for healthcare ($315k lifetime for a couple)
- ✓ Evaluate Roth conversions
- ✓ Diversify across stocks, bonds, and real assets
- ✓ Create a withdrawal strategy (4% guideline)
- ✓ Consider long-term care insurance
- ✓ Revisit the plan every year
Retirement planning data stack
Authoritative sources for savings, Social Security, and withdrawal assumptions.
Social Security Administration
Benefit estimators, COLA history, and claiming-age impacts.
Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI
Inflation and healthcare cost assumptions for retirement planning.
Fidelity & Vanguard retirement benchmarks
Average balances, replacement ratios, and catch-up contribution patterns.
Cadence: IRS/SSA annually, actuarial tables periodically.
Important retirement planner disclaimer
Projections are educational only and not personalized advice.
- ⚠️Outputs combine your inputs with public data. Validate assumptions with a qualified professional.
- ⚠️Market returns, inflation, and policy changes affect outcomes. Re-run regularly.
- ⚠️FutureValueCalc is not a fiduciary. Consult a certified planner for personalized recommendations.