How your nest egg grows to retirement
Green is the money you contribute; blue is the investment growth on top. Updates as you change the inputs.
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Retirement & Tax
Retirement Calculator
Estimate how your retirement account can grow over time with contributions, investment return, and years until retirement.
Projected retirement balance
$471,000
Contributions$200,000
Growth$271,000
Current savings$50,000
Annual return7.0%
What is a retirement calculator?
A retirement calculator projects how much your savings could be worth by the time you retire. It takes what you have saved today, the amount you add each month, how many years you have left, and an expected investment return, then compounds them forward to estimate your future balance, and shows how much comes from your own contributions versus investment growth.
How it works
The tool grows your current savings at the expected return and adds the future value of your ongoing monthly contributions. Because returns compound, money invested earlier grows the most, which is why starting sooner has such an outsized effect on the final number.
FV = P(1 + r)^n + PMT × [ ((1 + r)^n − 1) / r ]
FV = future balance at retirement
P = current savings
PMT = monthly contribution
r = monthly return (annual return ÷ 12)
n = number of months until retirement (years × 12)
FV = future balance at retirement
P = current savings
PMT = monthly contribution
r = monthly return (annual return ÷ 12)
n = number of months until retirement (years × 12)
Worked example
With $50,000 saved today, contributing $500 per month, at a 7% annual return over 25 years:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Current savings | $50,000 |
| Total contributions over 25 years | $150,000 |
| Investment growth | ~$271,000 |
| Projected balance at retirement | ~$471,000 |
Ways to reach your goal faster
- Increase contributions gradually, even a small monthly bump compounds into a large difference over decades.
- Start as early as possible, time in the market usually beats trying to time the market.
- Plan with a conservative return so a weak market doesn't derail your plan, then treat higher returns as upside.
- Use a "real" return (return minus inflation) if you want your target expressed in today's dollars.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I save for retirement?
A common guideline is 10-15% of income a year, but the right number depends on your age, goals, and other income. Starting early and saving consistently matters most.
How is my retirement balance projected?
Your current savings grows at the expected return and the future value of your monthly contributions is added on top. The total is your projected balance.
Should I use a conservative or aggressive return?
Use a conservative rate for your baseline plan and a higher rate as a scenario test, not as a certainty, since future returns are unknown.
Does starting later hurt?
Yes, later contributions have fewer years to compound. Starting a decade earlier can produce a dramatically larger balance than saving more later.
Does it account for inflation?
It projects a nominal balance. To think in today's dollars, enter a lower "real" return equal to your expected return minus expected inflation.
How often should I recheck this plan?
At least yearly, and whenever income, major expenses, or retirement goals change materially.