United States · Retirement Planning

US Retirement Calculator

See how your retirement savings and expected Social Security income support your future spending, and test different strategies to reach your goals.

Projection noticeResults are estimates based on the assumptions you choose. They are not personalized financial advice or guaranteed returns.

Your Quick Projection

Today's $
Projected Savings at Ret.$1,050,537Age 65
Plan OutlookOn track through Age 95Fully funded
$1.1M$525k$0Age 35$100kRetire at 65$1.1MSocial Security at 6735506595Age

1. Your Plan

18100
18100
$
$

2. Retirement Spending & Expected Income

$5,000 / month
$
$0$300k/yr
$
Annual, after-tax amount in today's dollars. Enter the benefit you expect at your selected claiming age.
6270
Changing the claiming age does not automatically change your benefit estimate.
$
Annual, after-tax amount in today's dollars.
5080
Default is 2.5% annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment.
Default is 0% (unindexed pension benefits).
Default is 0% (taxes unbundled/excluded). Enter 15 for 15% tax rate.
Dollar Value Basis:

Your Retirement Projection

Projected savings at retirement$1,050,537At Age 65 (today's purchasing power)
Plan outlookOn track through Age 95Income & portfolio cover spending
Ending portfolio at Age 95$415,647
Cumulative shortfall through Age 95$0

Your Retirement Trajectory

Portfolio value
Retirement spending
$1.1M$525k$0Age 35$100kRetire at 65$1.1MSocial Security at 6735506595Age
Active Projection Assumptions
Pre-Ret. Return7%
Post-Ret. Return5%
Inflation2.5%
Annual Fee0.15%
Social Security COLA2.5%
Pension COLA0%
Withdrawal Tax0%
How to read this projection

A zero portfolio balance does not necessarily mean a spending shortfall if Social Security or pension income covers your planned spending.

Results depend on your return, inflation, fee, tax, and income assumptions.

Comparative Plan Scenarios

Ending portfolio balance at Age 95 in today's purchasing power ($):
Baseline Plan
Current inputs without modification
$415,647
No shortfall to Age 95
Work 2 Years Longer
Delay retirement age to 67
+$342,466 vs Baseline
$758,113
No shortfall to Age 95
Save 10% More
Increase annual contributions by 10%
+$138,687 vs Baseline
$554,334
No shortfall to Age 95
Reduce Spending by 10%
Reduce retirement annual spending target by 10%
+$260,730 vs Baseline
$676,377
No shortfall to Age 95
Weaker Investment Returns
Investment returns 1.5 percentage points lower before and during retirement.
-$415,647 vs Baseline
$0
Shortfall at Age 86

Save & Compare Plans

Saved in this browser only.

What You Can Do Next

Your projection is currently on track through your planning end age. Test these resilience scenarios to protect your plan against market fluctuations and inflation.

1
Stress-Test Weaker Investment Returns (-1.5%)Resilience Test

Test how your retirement plan performs if long-term market returns fall short of your baseline expectation.

Calculated Impact: A 1.5% lower annual return would introduce a projected shortfall at Age 86. Consider testing conservative return rates in Section 3.
2
Review Social Security Start AgeOptimization

Evaluate your planned start age (67). Delaying claiming increases guaranteed annual benefits, providing stronger protection against market downturns and longevity risk.

Calculated Impact: Currently set to $24,000/yr at Age 67.
3
Test Effective Withdrawal Tax RatesTax Planning

Withdrawals from traditional 401(k) or IRA accounts are subject to income tax. Testing effective tax rates ensures your net after-tax spending targets remain fully funded.

Calculated Impact: Currently modeled at 0% effective tax rate on portfolio withdrawals.
4
Review Retirement Spending TargetSpending Capacity

Your plan is currently fully funded through Age 95, ending with $415,647. You can test higher spending targets to evaluate lifestyle options.

Calculated Impact: Current spending target: $60,000/yr ($5,000/month).
Explore related Decision Globe tool:US Paycheck & Take-Home Pay Calculator (DG-000012) →

How Your Retirement Savings Change Over Time

Plotted bar heights represent ending portfolio balance at each age interval in today's purchasing power ($).
$1,050,537$525,269$0Age 35: Ending Balance $119,88035Age 36: Ending Balance $140,223Age 37: Ending Balance $161,057Age 38: Ending Balance $182,413Age 39: Ending Balance $204,320Age 40: Ending Balance $226,812Age 41: Ending Balance $249,92141Age 42: Ending Balance $273,682Age 43: Ending Balance $298,130Age 44: Ending Balance $323,303Age 45: Ending Balance $349,239Age 46: Ending Balance $375,978Age 47: Ending Balance $403,56047Age 48: Ending Balance $432,030Age 49: Ending Balance $461,432Age 50: Ending Balance $491,811Age 51: Ending Balance $523,216Age 52: Ending Balance $555,697Age 53: Ending Balance $589,30653Age 54: Ending Balance $624,097Age 55: Ending Balance $660,125Age 56: Ending Balance $697,450Age 57: Ending Balance $736,132Age 58: Ending Balance $776,234Age 59: Ending Balance $817,82259Age 60: Ending Balance $860,963Age 61: Ending Balance $905,730Age 62: Ending Balance $952,197Age 63: Ending Balance $1,000,439Age 64: Ending Balance $1,050,537Age 65: Ending Balance $1,013,24765Age 66: Ending Balance $975,102Age 67: Ending Balance $960,633Age 68: Ending Balance $945,832Age 69: Ending Balance $930,691Age 70: Ending Balance $915,204Age 71: Ending Balance $899,36171Age 72: Ending Balance $883,155Age 73: Ending Balance $866,578Age 74: Ending Balance $849,620Age 75: Ending Balance $832,274Age 76: Ending Balance $814,530Age 77: Ending Balance $796,37977Age 78: Ending Balance $777,813Age 79: Ending Balance $758,820Age 80: Ending Balance $739,392Age 81: Ending Balance $719,518Age 82: Ending Balance $699,189Age 83: Ending Balance $678,39483Age 84: Ending Balance $657,122Age 85: Ending Balance $635,363Age 86: Ending Balance $613,104Age 87: Ending Balance $590,335Age 88: Ending Balance $567,044Age 89: Ending Balance $543,22089Age 90: Ending Balance $518,849Age 91: Ending Balance $493,919Age 92: Ending Balance $468,417Age 93: Ending Balance $442,331Age 94: Ending Balance $415,647Retire (65)SS (67)

How This US Retirement Calculator Works

What this retirement calculator does

Models savings accumulation before retirement and portfolio decumulation during retirement, combining investment growth with Social Security and pension income to project your long-term balance.

Who it is for

Designed for individuals and households in the United States planning for retirement at any age, whether testing early retirement scenarios or evaluating current retirement readiness.

How retirement savings are projected

Pre-retirement annual contributions compound at your estimated return rate. During retirement, portfolio returns continue while annual net spending is withdrawn from your remaining balance.

How Social Security is treated

Social Security is modeled as guaranteed annual income starting at your selected start age (62 to 70), indexed each year by your Social Security COLA assumption to reduce required portfolio withdrawals.

How pension income is treated

Expected annual pension income begins at your specified pension start age and offsets spending needs. Unindexed pensions (0% COLA) remain flat while indexed pensions grow over time.

Inflation vs Social Security COLA vs Pension COLA

General inflation increases desired annual spending. Social Security COLA adjusts Social Security benefits. Pension COLA adjusts pension income. When COLAs lag general inflation, real purchasing power decreases.

What Today's Dollars means

Today's Purchasing Power deflates future annual spending, portfolio balances, and shortfalls to current dollar values using your inflation rate, showing what future money is worth today.

What Nominal Dollars means

Nominal dollars reflect the actual numerical figures in future years without adjusting for price inflation, showing expected future bank balances and actual projected cash flows.

What a projected shortfall means

A projected shortfall indicates your investment portfolio reaches $0 before your planning end age, leaving a gap between desired spending and guaranteed income in those years.

Fees and withdrawal tax assumptions

Annual investment fee rates reduce net annual returns. Estimated withdrawal tax rates increase required gross portfolio withdrawals so your net spending goal is met after taxes.

Model limitations

Calculations assume constant annual investment returns and inflation rates. Real-world returns fluctuate annually, and market downturns near retirement (sequence of returns risk) can impact portfolio longevity.

Frequently Asked Questions About US Retirement Planning

How much do I need to retire?

Retirement targets vary based on your planned annual spending, retirement age, expected lifespan, and guaranteed income sources like Social Security. A common benchmark is saving 10 to 12 times your pre-retirement income, but calculating your specific net withdrawal needs provides a far more accurate target.

Is $1 million enough to retire?

Whether $1 million is sufficient depends on your retirement age, annual living expenses, and additional income. Using a standard 4% annual withdrawal rule, $1 million generates approximately $40,000 per year before taxes. When combined with Social Security or pension income, it may cover moderate retirement spending.

How does Social Security affect my retirement plan?

Social Security provides guaranteed inflation-adjusted lifetime income that directly reduces the amount you need to withdraw from your investment portfolio each year. Claiming benefits earlier (age 62) results in lower monthly payments, while delaying up to age 70 increases your benefit amount.

What happens if I retire a few years later?

Retiring later improves your financial outlook in three ways: it gives your savings more years to grow through compound returns, reduces the number of retirement years your portfolio must fund, and increases your annual Social Security benefit if you delay claiming.

How much should I save for retirement each month?

Financial planners generally recommend saving 15% of your gross income annually for retirement, including any employer 401(k) match. Starting earlier allows compound interest to do more work, requiring a lower monthly contribution to reach your goal.

What is the difference between today's dollars and future dollars?

Today's dollars (purchasing power) adjust future cash flows for inflation so you can evaluate future spending in terms of current buying power. Nominal dollars reflect the actual numerical figures in future years without adjusting for price inflation.

What investment return should I use for retirement planning?

A conservative long-term baseline for a balanced portfolio during accumulation is 6% to 7% annually before inflation. During retirement, portfolios are often shifted toward lower-risk assets, making a 4% to 5% post-retirement return assumption prudent.

How does inflation affect retirement income?

Inflation reduces the purchasing power of your money over time, meaning living expenses will increase each year. While Social Security includes annual Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA), fixed pensions without COLA will lose real purchasing power over time.

Methodology & Disclaimers: The US Retirement Calculator (DG-000028) estimates retirement savings accumulation and annual withdrawals based on your chosen inputs. Pre-retirement contributions compound annually at the start of each period. Retirement spending grows with inflation, Social Security increases with Social Security COLA, and pension increases with Pension COLA. These figures are for educational scenario planning only and do not constitute formal tax, investment, or legal advice.

✓ On Track through Age 95$1,050,537 at Age 65