Retirement Savings Calculator
See how your retirement corpus grows over time based on your monthly contributions and expected returns. Adjust the variables to find the savings rate you need to hit your retirement goal.
This tool is for general retirement planning. Contribution limits, tax treatment, and available schemes (such as 401(k), IRA, RRSP, ISA, or workplace pensions) vary by country — consult your local tax authority or a financial advisor for region-specific guidance.
Understanding the Retirement Savings Calculator
This calculator projects how large your retirement nest egg could grow by estimating the future value of your current savings plus ongoing contributions, compounded at an assumed annual return. It helps you see whether your current saving pace is on track and how changes to contributions, return, or retirement age shift the outcome. It is built for general planning and education. Projections are estimates only, not guarantees; real markets fluctuate, and inflation, taxes, and fees can meaningfully reduce what your balance is actually worth.
How it works
Enter your current age, planned retirement age, existing balance, regular contribution, and an expected annual return. The tool compounds your starting balance over the years remaining and adds the future value of each periodic contribution, treating deposits as a growing annuity. The result is your projected corpus at retirement. Increasing your contribution or starting earlier has an outsized effect because compounding rewards time. To judge real purchasing power, use a return net of inflation (for example, 5% instead of 8%), which expresses the corpus in today's money rather than inflated future dollars.
Worked example
Suppose you are 30 with 20,000 saved and add 500 a month, expecting 7% annually for 35 years (n = 420 months, r = 0.07/12). The current balance grows to about 213,000. The monthly contributions grow to roughly 830,000 as an annuity. Combined, the projected corpus is about 1.04 million at age 65. Lowering the return assumption to 5% to approximate inflation-adjusted value drops the projection to around 620,000 in today's money.
Tips & common mistakes
- Model an inflation-adjusted (real) return to see your corpus in today's purchasing power, not just a big nominal number.
- Increase contributions early; a dollar saved at 25 compounds far more than one saved at 45.
- Revisit assumptions yearly; market returns, salary, and expenses change, so a one-time projection drifts quickly.
- Remember that withdrawals in retirement and taxes on tax-deferred accounts will reduce usable income.
- Treat the expected return as a planning assumption, not a promise; consider running optimistic and conservative scenarios.
Sources & methodology
- • U.S. Department of Labor — Savings Fitness and retirement planning guides (https://www.dol.gov)
- • Social Security Administration — Retirement benefit estimators (https://www.ssa.gov)
Related tools
Reviewed by the TopOpenTools editorial team · Last updated June 2026. These tools provide general estimates for educational purposes only and are not financial, tax, insurance, investment, or medical advice. Verify important decisions with a qualified professional.
How to Use This Calculator
- 1Enter your current age and the age you plan to retire.
- 2Enter your existing current savings (or 0 if starting fresh).
- 3Enter your planned monthly contribution going forward.
- 4Set your expected annual return — 7% is a common conservative estimate for a balanced portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I save for retirement?
A common guideline is to save 10–15% of your income and aim for 25× your annual expenses as a retirement corpus (based on the "4% rule" for sustainable withdrawals). Use this calculator to see what different savings rates produce.
What return rate should I use?
For a balanced portfolio, 6–7% is a reasonable long-term assumption after inflation. For equity-heavy portfolios, 8–10% is often used but carries more risk. Use a conservative rate to avoid over-estimating your corpus.
What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule suggests that retirees can withdraw 4% of their portfolio in the first year of retirement, then adjust for inflation each year, with a high likelihood the portfolio lasts 30+ years.
Does this account for inflation?
The calculator shows nominal (pre-inflation) values. To adjust, use a real return rate: subtract expected annual inflation (typically 2–3%) from your expected annual return.