Retirement Calculator
Project your 401(k) balance at retirement and monthly income from the 4% rule, with employer match. Free, no sign-up, and it runs in your browser.
Dedicated page: /en/retirement-calculator
2026 401(k) limits: $24,500 under 50, $32,500 at 50+, $35,750 at 60 to 63. That is about $2,042 a month at the under-50 limit. Check the current IRS limits here.
Default checked 10 Nov 2026: 7% a year, the long-run US stock market average after inflation (about 10% before inflation). Check the current value here.
Default checked 10 Nov 2026: 3% assumed. Latest US inflation is 3.7% (12 months to September 2026). Check the current value here.
Used for the employer match cap and the Fidelity savings benchmark below.
A common match is 50% of what you put in, or 100% up to a cap. Leave 0 if your employer does not match.
The match only applies to contributions up to this share of your salary.
Plan fees reduce your return. The average 401(k) fee is around 1% or less; expensive plans charge over 2%.
Raise your monthly saving each year, for example with pay rises. 2% to 3% a year is typical.
Leave 0 to test the 4% rule amount, or enter your own yearly spending from savings.
A more conservative mix in retirement. 5% suits a 60/40 stock and bond mix.
Leave 0 if you do not know it. Get your estimate at the Social Security retirement estimator.
The 25x rule: you need about 25 times your yearly spending saved.
The 4% rule comes from the 1998 Trinity Study: withdraw 4% in year one, then raise it with inflation each year.
Fidelity's savings benchmark: 1x your salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60, 10x by 67. The result below shows where you stand against it.
Estimate only, not financial advice. Markets do not return a steady 7% every year, and this tool ignores taxes and pension income. Talk to a fiduciary adviser before you change your contributions.
Quick answer
A retirement calculator shows your 401(k) balance at retirement, your monthly income from the 4% rule, and whether the money lasts. Enter your age, savings, monthly contribution, return and inflation, and it adds your employer match, fees, Social Security and the 2026 limits.
About this Retirement Calculator
Project your 401(k) balance at retirement and monthly income from the 4% rule, with employer match. It is one of the Money and Finance on ToolUstad, and like every tool here it runs entirely in your browser: nothing you type, paste or open is uploaded to a server, and there is no sign-up or usage limit.
What is a retirement calculator?
A retirement calculator answers three questions: how much will I have, how much can I spend each month, and will it last? The return is a guess, so the calculator shows three returns and a Monte Carlo check. Take a 30-year-old with $20,000 saved, contributing $500 a month at 7% and retiring at 65. The balance is $1,130,650, or $401,814 in today dollars. The 4% rule gives $3,768.83 a month, $1,339.38 in today dollars.
How compound growth works
Compound growth is the reason starting early beats saving more later. The $20,000 already saved grows to about $230,123 by age 65 at 7%. The $500 a month grows to about $900,527. A 1% fee keeps about 23% less money over 35 years than a 0.1% fee.
The 4% rule and the 25x rule
The 4% rule says you can withdraw 4% of your balance in the first year of retirement, then raise the dollar amount with inflation each year, and the money should last 30 years. It comes from the 1998 Trinity Study. The 25x rule is the same idea in reverse: multiply your yearly spending by 25 to get the nest egg you need. Spending $4,000 a month is $48,000 a year, so you need about $1,200,000. Social Security cuts the target: $22,000 a year is worth roughly $550,000.
Employer match, fees and Social Security
The employer match is the best return available anywhere. A common match is 50% of the first 6% of salary: on a $75,000 salary the employer adds $2,250 a year. Fees reduce your return directly: a 1% fee on a 7% return leaves you 6%. The average retired worker gets about $1,900 a month in 2026.
Scenarios, Monte Carlo and the 2026 limits
The calculator shows three returns: your return minus 2%, your return, and your return plus 2%. At 5% the example balance is $682,721, at 7% it is $1,130,650, and at 9% it is $1,932,160. The Monte Carlo check runs your plan through 250 simulated market paths and counts how many still have money at 90. The 2026 limits are $24,500 under 50, $32,500 at 50+, and $35,750 at 60 to 63.
Best practices
- Start now, with a small amount: $100 a month at age 25 beats $300 a month at age 40.
Common mistakes to avoid
Who is the retirement calculator for?
Anyone with a 401(k) or IRA who wants to know if they are on track, or near retirement and wondering what the balance pays each month.
Current values, checked 10 Nov 2026: the default return is 7%, from the long-run stock market average of about 10% a year before inflation, per SoFi. The default inflation is 3%, and the latest CPI is 3.7% year over year in September 2026, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Return and inflation are optional overrides. Check the average stock market return here, the latest CPI here, and the 2026 401(k) limits here.
This calculator is an estimate only, not financial advice. Returns are not guaranteed, taxes are not included, and your actual balance depends on the market, your investments and your plan terms.
Learn: how to use the Retirement Calculator
- Enter your age, retirement age, current savings and monthly contribution.
- Check the return and inflation: the defaults are the long-run stock average and 3% inflation.
- Add your employer match, annual income, plan fees and Social Security estimate if you know them.
- Read the balance, the 4% rule income, how long it lasts, and the Monte Carlo check.
Features
- Balance at retirement, in future dollars and in today dollars
- 4% withdrawal rule with 3% and 5% options, plus monthly income
- Employer match with a cap as a percent of salary
- Plan fees that reduce your return, and yearly contribution growth
- How long the money lasts at your withdrawal rate
- Three market scenarios: below average, average, above average
- Monte Carlo check: 250 simulated paths to age 90
- 2026 401(k) limits: $24,500 under 50, $32,500 at 50+, $35,750 at 60 to 63
- 25x spending reverse mode: the nest egg and monthly saving a goal needs
Worked example
Age 30, with $20,000 saved, contributing $500 a month at 7% a year and retiring at 65: the balance is $1,130,650, or $401,814 in today dollars at 3% inflation. You put in $230,000 and growth adds $900,650. The 4% rule gives $3,768.83 a month, $1,339.38 in today dollars. To spend $4,000 a month in retirement you need about $1,200,000 saved, which takes about $538.51 a month from here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 2026 401(k) contribution limits?
$24,500 for employees under 50, $32,500 at age 50 and over with the $8,000 catch-up, and $35,750 at ages 60 to 63 with the SECURE 2.0 super catch-up of $11,250. The combined employee plus employer limit is $72,000.
What is the 4% rule?
Withdraw 4% of your balance in the first year of retirement, then raise the dollar amount with inflation each year. The 1998 Trinity Study found that lasted 30 years in most historical periods with a 60/40 stock and bond mix. For a 40-year retirement, 3% to 3.5% is safer.
How much do I need to retire?
About 25 times your yearly spending from savings, after Social Security. Spending $4,000 a month is $48,000 a year, so about $1,200,000. Social Security of about $22,000 a year at full retirement age is worth roughly $550,000 of nest egg at a 4% rate.
Should I get the full employer match first?
Yes. A match is an instant 50% to 100% return before any market gains. Contribute at least enough to get the full match, then consider a Roth IRA, then come back to max the 401(k).
What does the Monte Carlo check do?
It runs your plan through 250 simulated market paths, with yearly returns spread around your average, and counts how many paths still have money at age 90. Below 80% means the plan is fragile: save more, retire later, or spend less.
How much should I have saved by 40?
Fidelity suggests about 3x your salary by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60 and 10x by 67. On a $75,000 salary, that is $225,000 by 40. They are benchmarks, not pass or fail marks.
What is a good retirement age?
It depends on your savings, your health and your Social Security. Claiming Social Security at 62 cuts the benefit by about 30% against full retirement age; waiting to 70 raises it by about 24%. Working two more years often adds more than saving 1% more.
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