Retirement Savings Calculator
See how your retirement savings could grow over time.
Assumes a constant annual return, which real markets rarely follow exactly.
Planning Your Retirement Savings Growth
Retirement savings grow through two forces working together: your ongoing contributions and compound investment returns on the balance already saved. This retirement savings calculator projects your balance at retirement based on your current savings, monthly contributions, timeline, and expected return.
Why starting early matters so much
Because returns compound on previous returns, money contributed in your 20s and 30s has dramatically more time to grow than the same dollar amount contributed in your 50s — which is why starting contributions early, even small ones, often outperforms starting later with larger contributions.
Choosing a realistic return assumption
Historical long-term stock market returns average roughly 7-10% annually before inflation, but using a more conservative figure (6-7%) in your own projections builds in a margin of safety against years of underperformance.
Revisiting the numbers regularly
Recalculating this projection yearly, updating your current balance and contribution amount, keeps your retirement plan grounded in reality rather than a one-time estimate made years earlier.
