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Retirement Calculator

When Can You Retire?

What do you want to figure out?

yrs old
$
$
$
Safe withdrawal rate
The 4% rule, in one line.
The share of your portfolio you draw each year in retirement. 4% is the classic rule of thumb (so you need ~25× your yearly spending). A lower rate (3–3.5%) is safer but needs a bigger nest egg and a later date; a higher rate (5–6%) retires you sooner but risks running short. Tap around to see the trade-off.
Tap the classic 4% rule (or a safer / bolder rate) and watch the answer move.
or set your own
%
%
Not sure? Tap a long-run real average (editable, not a promise):

Savings go in at the end of each month and grow from there. All figures are in today's dollars.

You could retire at
Your number
The nest egg you need (FI number)$0
What you have now$0
Still to go$0
Your savings vs. your number
Retire sooner or later? Every rule side by side

Same plan, different safe-withdrawal rate. A lower rate is safer but pushes the date back. Your current pick is highlighted.

Withdrawal rateNest egg neededRetire at
What if returns are different?

The same plan at nearby real returns. Markets don't deliver one steady number; this is the honest wobble.

Real returnRetire at
About the 4% rule: read this before you quit

The 4% rule comes from studies of historical U.S. markets over 30-year retirements. It's a sturdy starting point, not a promise: a run of bad early returns, a retirement longer than 30 years, or high inflation can all change the math. Lower rates (3–3.5%) buy a bigger safety margin.

This is a portfolio-only estimate. It ignores Social Security and pensions (which lower the income your savings must cover) and taxes and healthcare (which raise your real spending). Use it as a clean baseline, then adjust your spending number.

Next step

Thinking of rental income as part of the plan? See what a property really pays with the rental cash flow calculator, or project a lump sum with the investment growth calculator.

Related tools: Investment Growth · Cash Flow & DSCR · Mortgage Payment · all calculators
Market data: 2,300+ rental market grades · Best cash-flow rental markets 2026

Common questions

What is the 4% rule?

The 4% rule is a rule of thumb from retirement research: if you withdraw about 4% of your portfolio in your first year of retirement and adjust that amount for inflation each year after, a diversified stock-and-bond portfolio has historically lasted at least 30 years. Turned around, it means you can retire once your portfolio is about 25 times your annual spending (because 1 ÷ 4% = 25).

Is 4% or 3% a safer withdrawal rate?

A lower rate is safer but requires a bigger nest egg and a later retirement. 4% withdraws 25× your spending; 3% withdraws about 33×, which cushions against long retirements, weak early returns, and higher inflation, at the cost of years more saving. 5–6% lets you retire sooner but carries a real risk of running out. Toggle between them above to see the trade-off directly.

Should I use a real or nominal rate of return?

Use a real (after-inflation) return here. The calculator works entirely in today's dollars, so your target nest egg and spending stay numbers you understand now, and that matches how the 4% rule is defined (the withdrawal is inflation-adjusted). A common assumption is roughly 7% for all-stocks after inflation, around 5% for a balanced mix, and about 4% for a conservative one.

Does this include Social Security, pensions, or taxes?

No. This is a portfolio-only estimate: it shows when your invested savings alone can cover your spending. Social Security or a pension would reduce the portfolio income you need; taxes and healthcare would raise your real spending. Treat the result as a clean baseline, then adjust your spending number for those.

What return should I assume?

Because everything is in today's dollars, enter a return after inflation. Historically U.S. stocks have returned roughly 7% a year after inflation, a balanced portfolio around 5%, and a conservative one near 4%. These are long-run averages, not guarantees; use the sensitivity table to see how a return one or two points lower changes your retirement age.

Can it tell me how much to save, not just when I can retire?

Yes. Switch the goal at the top: it can solve for the age you can retire, for the amount you'd need to save each month to retire by a target age, or for the income you could safely spend if you retire at a chosen age.

Is the retirement calculator really free?

Yes, free, no account, no upsells. Every result shows the formula behind it, and you can download the full year-by-year projection as a spreadsheet.