Retirement Planner

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Return, inflation and target income are in the inspector.

Try a scenario
Contribution gap remains

Projected retirement balance

$1,257,081.01

The projection is $967,651.91 short of the nest egg implied by your desired income.

Desired income inflated at 2.5% · target nest egg uses a 4% withdrawal rate

Retirement balance path

The widening curve shows when investment growth begins contributing more than deposits.

Goal coverage

56.5%

Target: $2,224,732.92

Monthly income supported

$4,190.27

$2,260.19 in today's dollars

Required monthly saving

$1,843.75

$993.75 above current

Year-by-year projection

Each year of the plan: what you contribute, what the return adds, and what the balance is worth once inflation is taken back out.

Year-by-year projection — 25 years to retirement · $855,371.95 of the projection is growth rather than money you saved
YearContributedthis yearGrowththis yearBalanceyear endIn today's moneyafter inflation
Year 1$10,200.00$5,816.90$91,016.90$88,796.98
Year 2$10,404.00$6,982.67$108,403.57$103,180.07
Year 3$10,612.08$8,247.61$127,263.26$118,176.59
Year 4$10,824.32$9,619.20$147,706.78$133,815.05
Year 5$11,040.81$11,105.45$169,853.04$150,125.34
Year 6$11,261.62$12,714.96$193,829.62$167,138.68
Year 7$11,486.86$14,456.96$219,773.44$184,887.75
Year 8$11,716.59$16,341.34$247,831.37$203,406.74
Year 9$11,950.93$18,378.72$278,161.02$222,731.41
Year 10$12,189.94$20,580.52$310,931.48$242,899.17
Year 11$12,433.74$22,958.94$346,324.16$263,949.15
Year 12$12,682.42$25,527.11$384,533.69$285,922.29
Year 13$12,936.07$28,299.11$425,768.87$308,861.41
Year 14$13,194.79$31,290.03$470,253.68$332,811.32
Year 15$13,458.68$34,516.06$518,228.42$357,818.88
Year 16$13,727.86$37,994.59$569,950.87$383,933.12
Year 17$14,002.41$41,744.24$625,697.53$411,205.32
Year 18$14,282.46$45,785.02$685,765.01$439,689.15
Year 19$14,568.11$50,138.37$750,471.49$469,440.72
Year 20$14,859.47$54,827.30$820,158.26$500,518.76
Year 21$15,156.66$59,876.47$895,191.39$532,984.68
Year 22$15,459.80$65,312.36$975,963.56$566,902.75
Year 23$15,768.99$71,163.37$1,062,895.92$602,340.18
Year 24$16,084.37$77,459.93$1,156,440.22$639,367.30
Year 25$16,406.06$84,234.72$1,257,081.01$678,057.67

25 years to retirement · $855,371.95 of the projection is growth rather than money you saved

Current savings

$75,000.00

Monthly contribution

$850.00

Investment growth

$855,371.95

Contributions

$326,709.06

Retirement Savings Planner

Connect today’s savings pace to a future retirement-income target. Project contributions that rise over time, investment growth, inflation-adjusted spending, a 4% withdrawal assumption, goal coverage, and the monthly contribution implied by the target.

Withdrawal assumption
4%
Income goal adjusted
Inflation
Contribution increases
Annual
Required saving solved
Monthly

Step by step

How to use it

  1. 01

    01Enter current savings

    Include only assets you want this projection to treat as part of the retirement portfolio.

  2. 02

    02Set contributions and return

    Add the monthly amount, any annual contribution increase, and a deliberately chosen long-term return assumption.

  3. 03

    03Define the income goal

    Enter the monthly retirement income you want in today’s money and an inflation assumption.

  4. 04

    04Stress-test the gap

    Compare goal coverage and required saving across lower returns, higher inflation, and different retirement dates.

Worked example

Turning today’s $4,000 into a future target

Given

Desired income today
$4,000/month
Time to retirement
25 years
Inflation
2.5%

Income target and nest egg

future monthly need = 4,000 × 1.025²⁵
                    ≈ $7,416
annual need         ≈ $88,992
target at 4%        ≈ $2.22 million
Future monthly need
≈ $7,416
Withdrawal rate
4%
Implied nest egg
≈ $2.22M

The 4% rule is a planning convention, not a guarantee. Taxes, pensions, Social Security, fees, asset mix, retirement length, and market sequence can all move the required portfolio.

Why this one

A retirement projection is a range, not a finish line

Inflation changes the target before retirement

A future dollar buys less, so an income goal stated in today’s dollars must be carried forward to the retirement date.

Contribution increases can be powerful

Raising saving with income may be more realistic than committing to the final required amount immediately.

Average return hides sequence risk

Poor returns near retirement can hurt more than the same poor years early, especially once withdrawals begin.

The 4% rule is only a starting point

Withdrawal sustainability depends on horizon, allocation, fees, taxes, flexibility, and actual return sequence.

The judgement call

Which assumption deserves a stress test?

  • Retirement is decades away

    Return and contribution range

    Small annual differences compound into large outcome differences.

  • Spending goal is in today’s dollars

    Apply inflation

    The future nominal amount must preserve purchasing power.

  • Pension or Social Security covers part of spending

    Model the remaining gap

    The portfolio may not need to fund the full income target.

  • Need a personal withdrawal strategy

    Professional plan

    Taxes, benefits, allocation, and longevity require more than a fixed-rate illustration.

Reference

The numbers behind it

Future income
Today’s income × (1 + inflation)ʸᵉᵃʳˢ
4% target
Annual portfolio income / 0.04
Supported monthly income
Balance × 0.04 / 12
Projection
Monthly deposits and monthly growth

FAQ

Questions, answered plainly

How much do I need to retire?

The retirement planner divides the inflation-adjusted annual income goal by 4%. That is a starting estimate, not a universal requirement.

What is the 4% rule?

The 4% rule is a historical planning guideline suggesting an initial annual withdrawal near 4% of a diversified portfolio, adjusted over time. Outcomes are not guaranteed.

Why adjust the income goal for inflation?

Because the future amount must be larger to buy what the entered monthly income buys today.

Should I include Social Security or a pension?

If those sources are dependable for your scenario, subtract their estimated after-tax contribution from the spending need before setting the portfolio-income goal.

Is the expected return guaranteed?

No. The projection applies one smooth rate; real markets are volatile and returns arrive in an uneven sequence.

Retirement assumptions remain in your browser. This educational projection is not individualized investment, tax, or retirement advice.