Planning your retirement is one of the most important financial decisions you'll ever make. The Retirement Calculator helps you simulate different scenarios and find out exactly how much you need to save to retire with the income you want. This guide walks you through each field step by step.
How the Calculator Works
The calculator uses the compound interest formula to project your wealth growth over time. Fill in all fields and leave exactly one blank — that's the value the calculator will compute for you.
This lets you answer questions like:
- How old will I be when I can retire if I invest $500/month?
- How much do I need to save monthly to retire at 60 with $4,000/month income?
- If I have $30,000 invested today, what will my retirement income be?
The Calculator Fields
Current Age and Retirement Age
Enter your current age and the age at which you want to retire. The period in months is calculated automatically from this difference. If you're unsure of the ideal retirement age based on your data, leave that field blank and the calculator will estimate it.
Annual Interest Rate (%)
Enter the annual return rate you expect from your investments. For reference:
- S&P 500 (historical average): ~10% per year
- US Treasury Bonds: ~4–5% per year
- Dividend stocks / REITs: 6–9% per year average
- Conservative (bonds + savings): 3–5% per year
If you don't know what rate is needed to reach your goal, leave this field blank.
Initial Amount ($)
The portfolio you already have invested today. If you're starting from zero, leave this blank or enter 0.
Monthly Contribution ($)
How much you plan to invest every month until retirement. Leave blank to find out the required monthly contribution to meet your goal.
Retirement Income ($)
The monthly income you want to receive during retirement. The calculator estimates the portfolio needed to sustain that income indefinitely based on the given interest rate. Leave blank to discover your projected retirement income.
Practical Example
Sarah is 32, wants to retire at 65, has $15,000 invested, contributes $600/month and expects 8% annual returns. She leaves "Retirement Income" blank.
Result: Sarah would accumulate approximately $1.15 million and could withdraw about $7,600 per month without depleting her capital.
How to Read the Results
- Period: Total time in years and months until retirement.
- Total Invested: Sum of all contributions + initial amount.
- Returns: Interest earned on investments over the period.
- Accumulated Value: Total portfolio at retirement date.
- Retirement Income: Monthly amount you can withdraw without consuming capital.
Tips for Better Simulations
- Use a conservative, realistic rate — don't assume peak market returns.
- Run scenarios with different contribution amounts and time horizons.
- Account for inflation: use a real return rate (nominal rate minus inflation).
- Review your plan at least once a year as your income and expenses change.
Ready to simulate? Open the calculator and find out how close you are to retirement.
Use the Calculator