Retirement Calculator
e.g. 50 = employer adds $0.50 per $1 you contribute
Historical S&P 500 avg ≈ 7% after inflation
Projected balance at retirement
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How This Calculator Works
This calculator projects how your retirement savings will grow using compound interest on two streams: your existing savings and your ongoing monthly contributions (including any employer match). The formula is a future value of a lump sum plus the future value of an annuity:
The Power of Starting Early
Time in the market is the single most powerful variable in retirement planning. A 25-year-old contributing $300/month for 40 years at 7% accumulates about $787,000. A 35-year-old doing the same for 30 years reaches only $378,000 — less than half — despite contributing for only 10 fewer years. The first decade of compounding is the most valuable.
Planning specifically around a 401(k)? See contribution limits, employer match modeling, and salary-based inputs in the 401(k) Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What annual return should I use?
7% is commonly used as a conservative long-term estimate for a diversified equity portfolio after adjusting for inflation. The S&P 500 has averaged about 10% nominal returns historically. Use 6–8% for a realistic range; use lower (5%) for conservative planning. The further away retirement is, the more meaningful the rate difference becomes.
Does this account for inflation?
No — the result is in today's dollars only if you use an inflation-adjusted return (e.g., 7% instead of 10%). If you use a nominal return, the balance shown is in future dollars, which will have less purchasing power. Divide the result by (1.03)^years to estimate real purchasing power in today's terms.
What is an employer match?
Many employers match a portion of your 401(k) contributions — for example, 50% of the first 6% of your salary. Enter 50 in the employer match field to model this. Employer match is essentially free money; always contribute at least enough to capture the full match before doing anything else with your money.