How much do I need to retire?

The standard guideline is 25x your annual expenses (the 4% rule). If you spend $40,000/year, you need $1,000,000 saved. This calculator uses this rule to compute your target savings.

What investment return rate should I use?

The S&P 500 has averaged ~10% annually before inflation, ~7% after inflation over the long term. A conservative estimate of 6-7% is commonly used for retirement planning.

What is the FIRE number?

FIRE stands for Financial Independence Retire Early. Your FIRE number is 25x your annual expenses — the amount you need invested to safely withdraw your living costs indefinitely.

Free Retirement Planning Calculator

Your Details

Current Age

Target Retirement Age

Current Savings ($)

Monthly Contribution ($)

Annual Investment Return: 7%

S&P 500 avg ~10% pre-inflation, ~7% post-inflation (historical)

Expected Annual Expenses in Retirement ($)

Safe Withdrawal Rate: 4%

4% is the classic Bengen safe withdrawal rate

Your Retirement Plan

How to Use the Retirement Planning Calculator

Enter your current age and target retirement age

The calculator shows how many years you have to build your nest egg.

Add your current savings and monthly contribution

Include all retirement accounts — 401(k), IRA, brokerage accounts.

Set your expected return rate and annual expenses

Use 7% for a conservative estimate. Enter your expected yearly spending in retirement.

Review your projected results

See your projected savings, FIRE number, whether you are on track, and how much monthly income your savings will provide.

Why Use This Retirement Calculator?

Most retirement calculators require an account, collect your financial data, or try to sell you financial products. This calculator runs entirely in your browser — no login, no data collection, no sales pitch. The mathematics is based on standard compound interest (future value of a growing annuity) and the widely-accepted 4% safe withdrawal rate from the Trinity Study. Results update in real time as you adjust any input, making it easy to model different scenarios: retiring earlier, contributing more, or assuming a higher or lower return rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do I need to retire?

The standard guideline is 25x your annual expenses — known as the FIRE number. If you plan to spend $48,000 per year in retirement, you need $1,200,000 saved. This is based on the 4% safe withdrawal rate, which research shows allows a portfolio to last 30+ years with high probability through most market conditions.

What is the 4% safe withdrawal rate?

The 4% rule, developed by financial planner William Bengen in 1994 and confirmed by the Trinity Study, states that retirees can withdraw 4% of their portfolio in the first year of retirement and adjust for inflation annually, with a very high probability of their money lasting 30 years. It is the most widely cited retirement planning guideline.

What annual return rate should I use?

The S&P 500 has returned approximately 10% annually before inflation and 7% after inflation over the long term. For conservative planning, 6-7% is commonly recommended. For aggressive portfolios, 8-10% may be used. Remember that actual returns vary year-to-year and past performance does not guarantee future results.

What is a FIRE number?

FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. Your FIRE number is the total portfolio value that allows you to retire and live off investment returns indefinitely. It is calculated as: Annual expenses ÷ Safe withdrawal rate. At a 4% withdrawal rate, this equals 25x your annual expenses.

Is my financial data stored anywhere?

No. Every calculation happens entirely inside your browser using JavaScript. No numbers you enter are sent to any server, stored in any database, or logged anywhere. When you close or refresh the page, all data is cleared from memory automatically.

About the Retirement Planning Calculator

This calculator uses the standard compound interest formula for the future value of a series of payments: FV = PV(1+r)^n + PMT × [(1+r)^n - 1] / r, where PV is the present value of current savings, PMT is the monthly contribution, r is the monthly interest rate (annual rate ÷ 12), and n is the number of months until retirement. The FIRE number is calculated as annual expenses divided by the safe withdrawal rate. The monthly income estimate divides your projected savings by 12 and multiplies by the safe withdrawal rate. This tool is for educational and planning purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

💰 Retirement Planning Calculator