Project your retirement savings based on current balance, monthly contributions, and expected return. Free tool — no sign-up required.
Your Details
At Retirement — Age 65
Projected Balance
$1,188,181
35 years · 7% annual return
💬 In Plain English
If you keep saving $500/month from now (age 30) until age 65, you could have around $1,188,181 by the time you retire. You'll have personally put in $235,000 — the rest, $953,181, is growth your money earned on its own. Using the common "4% rule," that nest egg could support roughly $3,961/month in retirement without running out.
| Age | Balance |
|---|---|
| 35 | $71,237 |
| 40 | $136,784 |
| 45 | $229,705 |
| 50 | $361,432 |
| 55 | $548,171 |
| 60 | $812,898 |
| 65 | $1,188,181 |
Projections assume a constant annual return and do not account for inflation, taxes, Social Security income, or employer match. Actual results will vary. Consult a certified financial planner before making retirement decisions.
👋 Simple Explanation
Retirement savings work like a garden: you plant seeds now (your contributions), and over many years they grow into something much bigger than what you planted — thanks to compound interest doing the heavy lifting. The earlier you start, the bigger the harvest, simply because your money has more years to grow.
This tool calculates the future value of your retirement savings using compound interest. It combines two formulas: the future value of your current savings (growing at the expected return rate) and the future value of your ongoing monthly contributions.
FV = P × (1+r)ⁿ + PMT × [(1+r)ⁿ – 1] / r
Where P = current savings, r = monthly return rate (annual ÷ 12), n = months to retirement, and PMT = monthly contribution. The estimated monthly income uses the 4% safe withdrawal rate: annual income = 4% × final balance.
Always capture your employer's 401(k) match. If your employer matches 50% of contributions up to 6% of your salary, not contributing that 6% is leaving guaranteed money on the table. This is the single highest-return investment available to most workers.
Max out a Roth IRA next. After capturing the 401(k) match, contribute up to $7,000/year (2024) to a Roth IRA. Tax-free growth and withdrawals make Roth accounts one of the most powerful retirement tools — especially for younger investors in lower tax brackets today.
Then maximize your 401(k). After Roth IRA, contribute more to your 401(k) up to the $23,000 annual limit. The tax deferral dramatically increases your effective investment return.
Invest in low-cost index funds. A total market or S&P 500 index fund with a 0.03%–0.10% expense ratio consistently outperforms actively managed funds over 20+ year periods due to lower fees. Keep it simple.
Jump straight to the nest egg required for a specific retirement income — by withdrawal rate and required monthly savings.