Retirement Savings Calculator 2026

The most widely-used rule is 25× your annual retirement expenses (the '4% rule'). If you need $60,000/year in retirement ($5,000/month), you need $1.5 million saved. This assumes a 4% annual withdrawal rate, which historically has lasted 30+ years in most market scenarios. A more conservative approach (3.3% withdrawal rate) suggests 30× annual expenses — $1.8 million for $60,000/year income.

A common rule of thumb is to save 15% of your gross income for retirement, including any employer match. At $75,000/year, that's $937.50/month. If you start at 25, saving $500/month at 7% annual return reaches approximately $1.3 million by 65. Starting at 35, you'd need $1,050/month to reach the same amount. The 15% rule accounts for Social Security filling roughly 30–40% of pre-retirement income.

The 4% rule (from the Trinity Study) states you can safely withdraw 4% of your retirement portfolio in year 1, then adjust for inflation each year, with a high probability the portfolio lasts 30+ years. On a $1 million portfolio: $40,000/year. This assumes a diversified stock/bond portfolio (typically 60/40 or 50/50). The rule was developed using historical S&P 500 data. In today's lower-yield environment, some planners use 3.3–3.5% for 40+ year retirements.

Immediately — the earlier the better due to compound interest. At 7% annual return: $10,000 invested at age 25 grows to $149,745 by 65. The same $10,000 invested at age 35 grows to only $76,123 — half as much. Every decade of delay roughly halves the compound growth potential. If you're starting late (40s or 50s), maximize catch-up contributions: $31,000/year in 401k (if 50+) vs $23,500 for younger workers in 2026.

Fidelity's benchmarks: 1× your salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, 10× by 67. At $75,000/year: $75K saved by 30, $225K by 40, $450K by 50, $600K by 60, $750K by 67. These assume retiring at 67 with Social Security filling a portion of income needs. T. Rowe Price suggests 7-11× salary depending on retirement lifestyle and expected Social Security benefits.

Inflation erodes purchasing power over time. At 3% inflation over 35 years, $1 million in today's dollars is worth approximately $356,000 in real purchasing power at retirement. This means a $1.5 million target in today's dollars requires $4.2 million in nominal terms if you're 30 years from retirement. The retirement calculator shows inflation-adjusted values — the 'today's dollars' figure is what your projected savings will buy in current terms.

The 2026 401k contribution limit is $23,500 for employee contributions ($1,958/month). Workers age 50 and older can contribute an additional $7,500 catch-up, for a total of $31,000. Total contributions (employee + employer match) cannot exceed $70,000 in 2026. For IRAs (Traditional and Roth), the 2026 limit is $7,000 ($8,000 if age 50+). Maximize employer match first — it's a guaranteed 50–100% return on those dollars.

The common rule of thumb is 25× your planned annual expenses (the '4% rule' — withdraw 4% per year to last 30 years). If you plan to spend $60,000/year in retirement, you need $1.5 million saved. In Social Security-supplemented scenarios, the savings requirement drops: if Social Security provides $24,000/year, you only need to fund $36,000/year from savings — requiring $900,000. This calculator lets you model different contributions, returns, and timeframes to reach your target.