Retirement Calculator
Estimate your retirement portfolio target, project what your current savings and future contributions may grow to, and see the resulting shortfall or surplus.
Retirement snapshot
Results are estimates for informational purposes only. Verify important financial, tax, real-estate or retirement decisions with a qualified professional.
How the retirement calculator works
CalcBunny first grows today’s spending by your inflation assumption to estimate spending at retirement. It subtracts other expected retirement income, converts the remaining annual spending need into a portfolio target using your withdrawal rate, and separately projects your current savings and monthly contributions using the pre-retirement return assumption.
Your expected investment return is not a safe spending rate. A portfolio might average 7% over a long period while still requiring a much lower withdrawal rate because returns are volatile and retirement may last decades.
How to interpret your result
The target is the portfolio implied by your spending assumptions. The projected savings figure estimates what you may actually have at retirement if contributions and average returns stay on track. The gap or surplus is the difference between those two numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a safe withdrawal rate?
A withdrawal rate is the percentage of your retirement portfolio you plan to spend in the first retirement year. Rules such as 4% are planning heuristics, not guarantees.
Why is withdrawal rate separate from investment return?
Investment return describes how the portfolio may grow. Withdrawal rate is a spending rule. Treating them as the same number can materially understate or overstate a retirement target.
Does this include Social Security or pension income?
Yes, you can enter expected monthly retirement income from Social Security, pensions or other reliable sources to reduce the amount your portfolio must support.
Does the projection guarantee I will reach the target?
No. Actual investment returns, inflation, taxes and contributions vary. The projection assumes a steady average return.
Should I use nominal or real returns?
This calculator inflates future spending separately, so the pre-retirement return input should normally be a nominal return assumption consistent with your portfolio.