Retirement Calculator
Project your 401(k) or retirement savings, including employer match.
Formula
About this calculator
A retirement calculator answers the single most important question in personal finance: will I have enough? It projects your current balance plus every future contribution forward to your retirement age, compounding investment returns along the way so you can see the final number — and, just as importantly, how much of it is free money from growth and employer matching.
Three levers drive the result. Your contribution rate is the one you control directly; even a one- or two-point increase compounds into a dramatically larger balance over decades. The employer match is an immediate, guaranteed return — contributing at least enough to capture the full match is the closest thing to free money in investing. Finally, time in the market lets compounding do the heavy lifting, which is why the balance curve steepens sharply in your final working years.
This calculator also applies the 4% rule to estimate the sustainable annual income your nest egg could provide in retirement. Contributing 6% of a $70,000 salary with a full employer match on the first 3%, starting at 30 with $25,000 already saved, 2% annual raises and a 7% return, grows to roughly $1.47 million by 65 — enough for about $59,000 a year under the 4% rule.
Frequently asked questions
How does the employer match work?
Employers commonly match your contributions dollar-for-dollar up to a percentage of your salary — for example, 100% of the first 3%. Set the match rate and the match limit to model your plan. Always contribute at least enough to get the full match.
What return rate should I assume?
A long-run average of 6–7% is a common, moderately conservative assumption for a diversified stock-heavy portfolio before inflation. Lower it as you approach retirement and shift toward bonds.
What is the 4% rule?
It's a rule of thumb suggesting you can withdraw about 4% of your retirement balance in the first year, then adjust for inflation, with a low risk of running out over a 30-year retirement. The calculator uses it to estimate your annual retirement income.
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⚠️ Projections assume constant contributions, salary growth and returns, which real life does not provide. This is a planning estimate, not investment or tax advice.