Retirement Calculator

Each month your balance grows at the expected return and your contribution is added on top: balance = balance × (1 + i) + contribution The monthly rate i comes from the annual return you enter. The gap between the two chart lines — what you put in versus what you have — is compound growth, and over decades it becomes the larger of the two.

A common rule of thumb says you can withdraw about 4% of your nest egg in the first year of retirement, then adjust for inflation, with a low chance of running out over a 30-year retirement. This calculator turns your projected balance into a monthly figure that way: income = nest egg × 4% ÷ 12. It is a starting estimate, not a guarantee — real markets, taxes and lifespans vary.

A dollar invested at 25 compounds for 40 years; the same dollar at 45 compounds for 20. Because growth is exponential, the early dollar is worth several times the late one at retirement. If the number looks small, raising the contribution helps — but starting sooner, or retiring a couple of years later, often moves it more.