Retirement Calculator
Project your retirement savings and see the power of compound growth.
Projected nest egg
Projection only — not financial advice. Markets vary; past returns do not guarantee future results.
How to use the retirement calculator
- Enter what you have saved today and what you add each month.
- Set your years to retirement and a realistic annual return (7% is the long-run stock market average before inflation).
- Watch how much of the total comes from growth, not contributions.
Why starting early beats saving more
Compound growth is the closest thing investing has to magic: your returns start earning their own returns, and the curve bends upward over time. Someone who invests $500 a month from age 25 to 65 at 7% ends up with roughly $1.2 million — while someone who invests twice as much ($1,000/month) but starts at 40 ends up with roughly $810,000. Time in the market beats timing the market, and it beats larger late contributions too. That is also why the “growth” line in your results will dwarf your contributions over long horizons — most of a 30-year nest egg was earned by the money, not deposited by you. The catch is that 7% is a long-run average with plenty of ugly years mixed in, and inflation quietly eats about 2–3% a year, so many planners run the numbers at 5% for a conservative real-return view.
Frequently asked questions
What return rate should I assume?
7% is the long-run US stock market average before inflation; 5% is a common conservative planning number after inflation. If your money sits in bonds or savings, use 2–4%.
How much should I save for retirement?
Common rules of thumb: 15% of income, or 10x your final salary saved by 67. Both are rough — run your own numbers with your actual spending.
Does this account for inflation?
No — the projection is in nominal (future) dollars. To think in today's dollars, use a lower return rate (around 5%) as a rough inflation adjustment.
Is this financial advice?
No. This is an educational projection using a fixed return assumption. Real markets fluctuate, and taxes and fees matter — talk to a fiduciary advisor for personal planning.