Projecting your retirement
A short guide to how a retirement balance grows — contributions, the employer match, compounding returns, and what the 4% rule says about income.
Open the Retirement Calculator →What this tool does
The Retirement & 401(k) Calculator projects the balance you'll have at retirement from your current savings, your monthly contribution, an employer match, and an expected return. It shows how much you put in, how much came from growth, a chart over time, and a rough estimate of the income it could provide. It all runs in your browser.
How the projection works
Starting from your current age, the calculator steps month by month to your retirement age. Each month it applies growth to the running balance, then adds your contribution and the employer match. Because returns compound on a growing balance, the gap between what you contribute and the total widens dramatically the longer you have.
Why the employer match matters
An employer match is effectively free money — a 50% match turns every $1 you save into $1.50 before any growth. Contributing at least enough to capture the full match is one of the most reliable moves in personal finance.
How to use it
- Open the Retirement Calculator.
- Enter your current age and the age you plan to retire.
- Add your current savings and what you contribute each month.
- Set the employer match as a percentage of your contribution, and an expected return.
- Read the nest egg, the contributions-versus-growth split, and the estimated income.
The 4% rule
To translate a balance into income, the tool applies the 4% rule: withdrawing roughly 4% in the first year is a common rule of thumb for making savings last about 30 years. It's a starting point, not a promise — real outcomes depend on markets, taxes, and how long you live. To see how inflation affects those future dollars, try the Inflation Calculator.
Your numbers stay private
All calculations happen locally in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded.
FAQ
How is a retirement nest egg projected?
By compounding your balance monthly while adding your contribution and the employer match until retirement.
What is the 4% rule?
A rule of thumb that withdrawing about 4% a year gives savings a good chance of lasting ~30 years.
Is my data uploaded?
No — it all runs in your browser.
This tool gives estimates for general use and is not financial advice.
Ready to try it? Open the Retirement Calculator →