Retirement planning
How Much Do I Need to Retire?
Estimate a retirement portfolio target, compare retirement ages, and calculate the monthly contribution implied by your assumptions.
Retirement age presets
Spending is treated as the first-year retirement amount in nominal dollars. Other income offsets portfolio need but is not deposited into the portfolio. Contributions occur at the end of each month.
Retirement age comparison
Each row uses the same balance, spending, return, inflation, withdrawal-rate, and contribution assumptions.
| Retirement age | Years to save | Target portfolio | Projected portfolio | Required monthly | Funding gap | Additional monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 40 | 5 | $900,000 | $136,397 | $11,989 | $763,603 | $10,989 |
| Age 45 | 10 | $900,000 | $252,016 | $4,988 | $647,984 | $3,988 |
| Age 50 | 15 | $900,000 | $406,740 | $2,719 | $493,260 | $1,719 |
| Age 55 | 20 | $900,000 | $613,795 | $1,631 | $286,205 | $631 |
| Age 60 | 25 | $900,000 | $890,882 | $1,013 | $9,118 | $13 |
| Age 65 | 30 | $900,000 | $1,261,688 | $629 | $0 | $0 |
Saving and retirement projection
| Year | Age | Phase | Starting balance | Contributions | Growth | Withdrawal | Ending balance | Inflation-adjusted balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | Saving | $50,000 | $12,000 | $3,327 | $0 | $65,327 | $63,424 |
| 2 | 37 | Saving | $65,327 | $12,000 | $4,246 | $0 | $81,573 | $76,890 |
| 3 | 38 | Saving | $81,573 | $12,000 | $5,221 | $0 | $98,794 | $90,410 |
| 4 | 39 | Saving | $98,794 | $12,000 | $6,254 | $0 | $117,048 | $103,995 |
| 5 | 40 | Saving | $117,048 | $12,000 | $7,349 | $0 | $136,397 | $117,657 |
| 6 | 41 | Saving | $136,397 | $12,000 | $8,510 | $0 | $156,907 | $131,407 |
| 7 | 42 | Saving | $156,907 | $12,000 | $9,741 | $0 | $178,648 | $145,257 |
| 8 | 43 | Saving | $178,648 | $12,000 | $11,045 | $0 | $201,694 | $159,219 |
| 9 | 44 | Saving | $201,694 | $12,000 | $12,428 | $0 | $226,122 | $173,304 |
| 10 | 45 | Saving | $226,122 | $12,000 | $13,894 | $0 | $252,016 | $187,523 |
| 11 | 46 | Saving | $252,016 | $12,000 | $15,447 | $0 | $279,463 | $201,890 |
| 12 | 47 | Saving | $279,463 | $12,000 | $17,094 | $0 | $308,558 | $216,416 |
| 13 | 48 | Saving | $308,558 | $12,000 | $18,840 | $0 | $339,398 | $231,113 |
| 14 | 49 | Saving | $339,398 | $12,000 | $20,690 | $0 | $372,088 | $245,994 |
| 15 | 50 | Saving | $372,088 | $12,000 | $22,652 | $0 | $406,740 | $261,071 |
| 16 | 51 | Saving | $406,740 | $12,000 | $24,731 | $0 | $443,471 | $276,356 |
| 17 | 52 | Saving | $443,471 | $12,000 | $26,935 | $0 | $482,406 | $291,863 |
| 18 | 53 | Saving | $482,406 | $12,000 | $29,271 | $0 | $523,676 | $307,605 |
| 19 | 54 | Saving | $523,676 | $12,000 | $31,747 | $0 | $567,423 | $323,594 |
| 20 | 55 | Saving | $567,423 | $12,000 | $34,372 | $0 | $613,795 | $339,844 |
| 21 | 56 | Saving | $613,795 | $12,000 | $37,154 | $0 | $662,950 | $356,368 |
| 22 | 57 | Saving | $662,950 | $12,000 | $40,104 | $0 | $715,053 | $373,181 |
| 23 | 58 | Saving | $715,053 | $12,000 | $43,230 | $0 | $770,283 | $390,296 |
| 24 | 59 | Saving | $770,283 | $12,000 | $46,544 | $0 | $828,826 | $407,728 |
| 25 | 60 | Saving | $828,826 | $12,000 | $50,056 | $0 | $890,882 | $425,490 |
| 26 | 61 | Saving | $890,882 | $12,000 | $53,779 | $0 | $956,662 | $443,599 |
| 27 | 62 | Saving | $956,662 | $12,000 | $57,726 | $0 | $1,026,388 | $462,069 |
| 28 | 63 | Saving | $1,026,388 | $12,000 | $61,910 | $0 | $1,100,298 | $480,915 |
| 29 | 64 | Saving | $1,100,298 | $12,000 | $66,344 | $0 | $1,178,642 | $500,153 |
| 30 | 65 | Saving | $1,178,642 | $12,000 | $71,045 | $0 | $1,261,688 | $519,799 |
| 31 | 65 | Retirement | $1,261,688 | $0 | $74,722 | $36,000 | $1,300,409 | $535,751 |
| 32 | 66 | Retirement | $1,300,409 | $0 | $77,016 | $37,080 | $1,340,345 | $536,121 |
| 33 | 67 | Retirement | $1,340,345 | $0 | $79,381 | $38,192 | $1,381,534 | $536,501 |
| 34 | 68 | Retirement | $1,381,534 | $0 | $81,822 | $39,338 | $1,424,017 | $536,892 |
| 35 | 69 | Retirement | $1,424,017 | $0 | $84,339 | $40,518 | $1,467,837 | $537,294 |
| 36 | 70 | Retirement | $1,467,837 | $0 | $86,935 | $41,734 | $1,513,038 | $537,709 |
| 37 | 71 | Retirement | $1,513,038 | $0 | $89,613 | $42,986 | $1,559,665 | $538,135 |
| 38 | 72 | Retirement | $1,559,665 | $0 | $92,375 | $44,275 | $1,607,765 | $538,574 |
| 39 | 73 | Retirement | $1,607,765 | $0 | $95,225 | $45,604 | $1,657,386 | $539,025 |
| 40 | 74 | Retirement | $1,657,386 | $0 | $98,165 | $46,972 | $1,708,579 | $539,490 |
| 41 | 75 | Retirement | $1,708,579 | $0 | $101,198 | $48,381 | $1,761,396 | $539,968 |
| 42 | 76 | Retirement | $1,761,396 | $0 | $104,328 | $49,832 | $1,815,892 | $540,460 |
| 43 | 77 | Retirement | $1,815,892 | $0 | $107,557 | $51,327 | $1,872,121 | $540,967 |
| 44 | 78 | Retirement | $1,872,121 | $0 | $110,889 | $52,867 | $1,930,143 | $541,488 |
| 45 | 79 | Retirement | $1,930,143 | $0 | $114,327 | $54,453 | $1,990,016 | $542,024 |
| 46 | 80 | Retirement | $1,990,016 | $0 | $117,875 | $56,087 | $2,051,804 | $542,576 |
| 47 | 81 | Retirement | $2,051,804 | $0 | $121,536 | $57,769 | $2,115,571 | $543,144 |
| 48 | 82 | Retirement | $2,115,571 | $0 | $125,315 | $59,503 | $2,181,384 | $543,729 |
| 49 | 83 | Retirement | $2,181,384 | $0 | $129,215 | $61,288 | $2,249,312 | $544,331 |
| 50 | 84 | Retirement | $2,249,312 | $0 | $133,241 | $63,126 | $2,319,426 | $544,950 |
| 51 | 85 | Retirement | $2,319,426 | $0 | $137,396 | $65,020 | $2,391,803 | $545,587 |
| 52 | 86 | Retirement | $2,391,803 | $0 | $141,686 | $66,971 | $2,466,518 | $546,243 |
| 53 | 87 | Retirement | $2,466,518 | $0 | $146,114 | $68,980 | $2,543,652 | $546,918 |
| 54 | 88 | Retirement | $2,543,652 | $0 | $150,686 | $71,049 | $2,623,289 | $547,612 |
| 55 | 89 | Retirement | $2,623,289 | $0 | $155,406 | $73,181 | $2,705,514 | $548,327 |
| 56 | 90 | Retirement | $2,705,514 | $0 | $160,280 | $75,376 | $2,790,418 | $549,063 |
| 57 | 91 | Retirement | $2,790,418 | $0 | $165,313 | $77,637 | $2,878,094 | $549,820 |
| 58 | 92 | Retirement | $2,878,094 | $0 | $170,510 | $79,966 | $2,968,637 | $550,599 |
| 59 | 93 | Retirement | $2,968,637 | $0 | $175,877 | $82,365 | $3,062,148 | $551,401 |
| 60 | 94 | Retirement | $3,062,148 | $0 | $181,420 | $84,836 | $3,158,732 | $552,226 |
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About this calculator
Method, formulas, and limits.What this does
Estimates the portfolio needed to support first-year retirement spending after other income, then compares that target with a monthly contribution projection.
Who it is for
People exploring how much they may need to retire at 40, 50, 55, 60, or 65 and how their monthly saving plan changes with the target age.
How it works
The model uses a selected withdrawal-rate assumption to set a target, compounds the current balance and end-of-month contributions monthly, and solves for the monthly contribution that would reach the target under the same return assumption.
Limitations
This is a deterministic educational estimate, not a retirement readiness certification or success-probability model. It does not model taxes, fees, market volatility, sequence risk, asset allocation, RMDs, healthcare costs, or plan rules.
Key calculations
- Retirement target
- targetPortfolio = max(0, annualSpending − otherIncome) / withdrawalRate
- Projected portfolio
- projectedPortfolio = currentBalance × (1 + monthlyRate)^months + monthlyContribution × annuityFactor
- Required monthly contribution
- requiredMonthly = amountNeeded × monthlyRate / ((1 + monthlyRate)^months − 1)
- Inflation-adjusted value
- realValue = nominalValue / (1 + inflation)^years
Reference ranges
- Earlier retirement
- A shorter saving period usually requires a larger current balance or monthly contribution. The result is sensitive to return, spending, and withdrawal-rate assumptions.
- Later retirement
- A longer saving period gives contributions and compounding more time, but it does not remove market, spending, tax, or longevity uncertainty.
- 4% reference
- A 4% withdrawal rate is shown as a historical planning reference, not as a universally safe rate or guarantee of retirement success.
How to use it
- 1.Choose a retirement ageUse a preset for age 40, 50, 55, 60, or 65, or enter another target age in the form.
- 2.Enter spending and other incomeAdd the annual spending you want to fund and any Social Security or pension income that reduces the portfolio need.
- 3.Add your current saving planEnter the current portfolio and monthly contribution. The calculator compares this plan with the contribution needed for the target.
- 4.Review age comparisonsCompare projected assets, target assets, and the monthly contribution required at the available retirement ages.
This calculator estimates a target by subtracting other annual income from planned first-year spending and dividing the remainder by your selected withdrawal-rate assumption. Your actual target can differ because taxes, fees, spending changes, market returns, and longevity matter.
The required monthly contribution is the amount that would reach the modeled target under the return, time horizon, and starting balance you enter. It is a mathematical planning estimate, not a recommendation or guarantee.
Yes. Select one of the age presets or enter a target retirement age. Earlier retirement generally means fewer contribution months and a longer period the portfolio may need to support.
In this model, other income reduces the first-year spending that must come from the portfolio. The amount is user-entered and is not an official Social Security or pension benefit estimate.
No. The projection uses constant assumptions and does not calculate a probability of success. Consider taxes, fees, market volatility, healthcare, account rules, and professional advice for an individualized plan.
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