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Retirement Calculator

Tell us your age, what you've saved, and what you add each month — we'll project your retirement nest egg and translate it into today's dollars so the number actually means something. Works whether you're planning solo or as a couple.

When you'd like to stop working — or work because you want to, not because you have to.

Add up everything already invested for retirement — 401(k)s, IRAs, and the like.

What you (or you and your partner together) add each month, including any employer match.

7%

A long-term stock-market average is often estimated around 6–7%.

3%

Used to show your nest egg in today's dollars, so the number feels real.

Projected nest egg

$1,015,810

at age 65 (30 years from now)

≈ $418,500 in today's dollars

Today's savings grow to
$405,825
You contribute
$180,000
Growth on top
$785,810
Est. monthly income
$3,386/mo

Estimated monthly income uses the 4% rule — a rough guide for how much you might safely draw each year in retirement.

This is a simple estimate to help you picture the future, not financial advice. Real returns, inflation, taxes, and contributions all vary year to year. Treat the number as a starting point for the conversation.

Free to use. Everything runs in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere.

How it works

Retirement saving works because of compound growth: the money you invest earns a return, and then those returns earn returns of their own. Give that snowball a few decades to roll and a steady monthly habit can grow into something that genuinely surprises you. This calculator projects that growth and shows you the finish line.

It blends two pieces of math:

  • Your current savings, compounded. Whatever you've already invested keeps growing on its own, month after month, at your expected rate of return.
  • Your monthly contributions, compounded. Each deposit you make from now until retirement also gets time to grow — the earlier dollars longer than the later ones.

We add those two together to get your projected nest egg. Then we do one more thing most calculators skip: we discount it back by your expected inflation rate to show the figure in today's dollars. A million dollars in 30 years won't buy what a million buys today, so this keeps the number honest. Finally, we apply the 4% rule to estimate the monthly income that nest egg might support.

Planning as a couple? Add both partners' balances and combine your monthly contributions — Merger is built for two people sharing a life, no joint account required. Going solo works exactly the same way; just enter your own numbers.

A worked example

Say you're 35, aiming to retire at 65, with $50,000 already invested and $500 going in every month. At a 7% return, your nest egg projects to about $1,015,810 by 65 — but with 3% inflation that's roughly $418,500 in today's dollars. Of that million, you contributed $180,000 and growth added about $785,810 on top. At the 4% rule, that could support around $3,386 a month in retirement. Tiny tweaks — $100 more a month, two extra years — move the needle more than you'd think. Try it.

Key terms

Nest egg (future value)
The projected total of your retirement savings on the day you retire — your current balance plus all future contributions, all grown by your expected rate of return.
Today's dollars
Your future nest egg adjusted for inflation, so you can judge its real buying power in terms you understand right now rather than an inflated future figure.
Expected annual return
The average yearly growth you assume your investments earn. A long-term, diversified stock-market average is often estimated around 6–7%, but it's an assumption, not a guarantee.
The 4% rule
A common rule of thumb that you can withdraw about 4% of your nest egg in the first year of retirement — adjusting for inflation after that — and have a good chance of your money lasting roughly 30 years.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I need to retire?

A common rule of thumb is enough that 4% of it covers your yearly spending — so multiply your expected annual expenses by about 25. This calculator works backward from that, projecting your nest egg and the monthly income it might support so you can see if you're on track.

What rate of return should I use?

Many people use 6–7% as a long-term, diversified estimate before inflation. Use a lower number if you want a more conservative projection — it's an assumption about the future, not a promise, so it's smart to check how your plan looks at a few different rates.

Why does this show my savings in today's dollars?

Because inflation quietly shrinks what a dollar buys, so a big future number can be misleading. Discounting your nest egg back to today's dollars shows its real buying power, which makes the projection far easier to judge against the life you actually want.

Does this account for Social Security or my pension?

No — it projects only what you save and invest yourself. Treat any Social Security, pension, or other income as a bonus on top of this estimate, since those would reduce how much your nest egg alone needs to cover.

How does retirement planning work for couples?

Add both partners' current balances together and combine your monthly contributions to see the whole household picture. With Merger you can plan and track toward retirement as a team while keeping your own accounts — no joint account needed.

Is this financial advice?

No — it's a simple educational estimate to help you picture the future and start the conversation. Real returns, inflation, taxes, and contributions all change over time, so use it as a starting point and talk to a qualified advisor for decisions specific to your situation.

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