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Project your retirement nest egg, inflation-adjusted purchasing power, and sustainable monthly withdrawal income under the 4% rule.
The Retirement Savings Calculator models your nest egg trajectory from today until retirement age. By projecting compound investment returns, ongoing monthly additions, inflation erosion, and sustainable 4% rule safe withdrawal income, this tool gives you an objective roadmap for retirement readiness.
Worked Examples (Calculated Directly by the Accumulation Model): 1. Early Career Saver (Age 25 to 65 at 7% Return, 2.5% Inflation, 4% SWR): • Starting Portfolio: $10,000 | Monthly Savings: $500 • Accumulation Horizon: 40 years (480 monthly deposits) • Total Personal Capital Invested: $10,000 + ($500 × 480) = $250,000 • Nominal Projected Nest Egg at Age 65: $1,475,521 • Compound Market Growth: $1,225,521 (83.1% of portfolio value comes from pure compound interest!) • Today's Purchasing Power (Adjusted for 2.5% Inflation): $549,529 • Sustainable Annual Safe Withdrawal Income: $21,981/year ($1,832/month in today's purchasing power). 2. Mid-Career Builder (Age 35 to 65 at 7% Return, 2.5% Inflation, 4% SWR): • Starting Portfolio: $50,000 | Monthly Savings: $1,000 • Accumulation Horizon: 30 years (360 monthly deposits) • Total Personal Capital Invested: $50,000 + ($1,000 × 360) = $410,000 • Nominal Projected Nest Egg at Age 65: $1,625,796 • Compound Market Growth: $1,215,796 (74.8% of portfolio) • Today's Purchasing Power (Adjusted for 2.5% Inflation): $775,086 • Sustainable Annual Safe Withdrawal Income: $31,003/year ($2,584/month in today's purchasing power). 3. Late-Career Catch-Up (Age 45 to 65 at 6.5% Return, 2.5% Inflation, 4% SWR): • Starting Portfolio: $150,000 | Monthly Savings: $2,000 (utilizing 401(k) / IRA catch-up allowances) • Accumulation Horizon: 20 years (240 monthly deposits) • Total Personal Capital Invested: $150,000 + ($2,000 × 240) = $630,000 • Nominal Projected Nest Egg at Age 65: $1,529,309 • Compound Market Growth: $899,309 (58.8% of portfolio) • Today's Purchasing Power (Adjusted for 2.5% Inflation): $933,293 • Sustainable Annual Safe Withdrawal Income: $37,332/year ($3,111/month in today's purchasing power).
Focus primarily on the 'Today's Purchasing Power' metric. While having $1.5M–$2.3M at retirement sounds immense, long-term inflation gradually erodes nominal purchasing power. Review your estimated monthly living expenses in retirement against the monthly safe withdrawal income estimate to verify that your fixed overhead and healthcare will be covered.
Established by financial planner William Bengen in 1994 and supported by the Trinity Study, the 4% rule suggests that a retiree can withdraw 4% of their initial portfolio value in year one of retirement, adjust that dollar amount annually for inflation, and have a 95%+ probability of their portfolio lasting at least 30 years.
Employer matching contributions represent an immediate 50% to 100% guaranteed return on your contributed funds. Include your employer's matching dollars in your monthly contribution amount to see the true compounding effect of company matches.
Yes. In your 20s and 30s, an aggressive 80/20 or 90/10 stock-to-bond allocation maximizes compound growth. As you approach retirement (ages 55 to 65), financial planners frequently recommend shifting to a 60/40 balanced allocation or creating a 2-3 year cash cushion to protect against sequence of returns risk.
Social Security (US), State Pension (UK), CPP/OAS (Canada), or the Age Pension (Australia) provides guaranteed inflation-protected base income. Any pension payout reduces the total private portfolio balance you need to fund your lifestyle.
Sequence of returns risk refers to the danger of experiencing severe market declines in the final years before retirement or the first few years of retirement while withdrawing funds. Sustained early market drops can deplete a portfolio prematurely even if average long-term returns meet projections.
Data verified: September 2026