Retirement Income Calculator
See how much monthly income your savings could support in retirement, and how it compares with what you plan to spend.
Include any employer match.
In today's dollars.
Social Security + pension, today's dollars.
Your estimate
Illustrative monthly income in this scenario (today's dollars, before taxes and fees)
$5,750
If returns follow these assumptions and the portfolio is drawn down through age 92, this scenario supports an illustrative $2,950/month from a projected $702,007 balance — before taxes and fees — plus $2,800 of guaranteed income: about $250 short of your goal in this scenario.
6% return before retirement, 5% after, before inflation of 2.5%.
Close in this scenario
- Projected savings at 65 (today's $)
- $702,007
- Illustrative monthly withdrawal (before taxes/fees)
- $2,950/mo
- 4% guideline comparison (not a rule)
- $2,340/mo
- Guaranteed income
- $2,800/mo
- Monthly shortfall vs. goal
- $250/mo
Savings growth to retirement (today's dollars)
View data table
| Balance | |
|---|---|
| Age 55 | $400K |
| Age 56 | $426K |
| Age 57 | $453K |
| Age 58 | $480K |
| Age 59 | $509K |
| Age 60 | $538K |
| Age 61 | $569K |
| Age 62 | $601K |
| Age 63 | $633K |
| Age 64 | $667K |
| Age 65 | $702K |
What this may mean for you
In this scenario, illustrative income covers about 96% of your goal. The usual levers, in rough order of power: retire a little later, trim the monthly goal, save more now, or increase guaranteed income (for example, by delaying Social Security).
Every $100/month of retirement spending requires roughly $30,000 of savings at a 4% withdrawal rate — useful for sizing any gap.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and may not reflect your complete financial or tax situation.
Understanding this calculator
Most retirement questions come down to one comparison: the income your savings and benefits can reliably produce, versus the spending that makes your life work. This calculator keeps that comparison front and center. Everything is shown in today's dollars, so you can judge the numbers against what things cost right now.
Two levers matter more than people expect. The first is time — each extra working year adds contributions, adds growth, and shortens the stretch your savings must cover. The second is guaranteed income like Social Security or a pension, because every guaranteed dollar is a dollar your portfolio never has to produce.
Use the scenario tabs to see conservative, expected, and optimistic return assumptions side by side — each is an illustration, not a prediction. If a plan only works in the optimistic case, that's worth knowing while there's still time to adjust.
Assumptions and methodology
- All results are shown in today's dollars. Savings grow at a real (inflation-adjusted) return: your entered return minus inflation, compounded monthly.
- Contributions are treated as level in today's dollars until your retirement age.
- The illustrative monthly withdrawal spreads the projected balance evenly (a level-annuity illustration) from retirement to your plan-to age using the in-retirement return — before taxes and fees.
- The withdrawal-rate view applies a fixed initial withdrawal rate (3.5%, 4%, or 4.5%) to the projected balance.
- Taxes, investment fees, market volatility, and sequence-of-returns risk are not modeled — real results will differ from any steady-return illustration.
Last reviewed August 30, 2026. Year-specific figures show their tax or data year in the tool; data is reviewed when the IRS, SSA, and CMS publish annual updates.
Common questions
Why are results in today's dollars?
Inflation-adjusted numbers are easier to sanity-check: you can compare projected income directly with what your life costs today, without guessing what a dollar will buy decades from now.
What return assumptions should I use?
There's no single right answer. Long-run diversified portfolios have historically earned more than inflation, but the future isn't guaranteed. Try the conservative tab first — a plan that works there is a sturdier plan.
Does this include Social Security?
Yes — enter your expected benefit under guaranteed monthly income. The Social Security Timing calculator can help you estimate how claiming age changes it.
Keep going
- Income GapCompare your expected retirement expenses with your guaranteed income and see how much your savings need to cover.Calculator
- How Long Will Savings Last?See how long your savings could last at a given monthly withdrawal, with inflation and returns included.Calculator
- Social Security TimingCompare claiming at every age from 62 to 70 and see monthly amounts, lifetime totals, and break-even ages.Calculator
- The Retirement Income ChecklistTurn a pile of accounts into a monthly paycheck — one step at a time.Guide
- Preparing for Your First Year of RetirementThe twelve-month runway: money moves, paperwork, and the parts nobody mentions.Guide
- What the 4% Rule Actually Says — and What It Never Promised6 min readArticle
Want a second set of eyes on this?
If you'd like to talk through what these numbers mean for your situation, you can schedule a free, no-pressure conversation. No products, no pitch — just questions answered.