Plan Your Retirement With Confidence

The amount you need to retire at 65 depends on your desired lifestyle, expected expenses, and longevity. A common rule of thumb suggests having 10-12 times your final annual salary saved by retirement age.

Our calculator provides a personalized estimate based on your unique financial situation, accounting for inflation, Social Security benefits, and healthcare costs. It also considers factors like your investment strategy, tax situation, and withdrawal plans.

For many Americans, a retirement savings target between $1 million and $1.5 million provides a comfortable retirement, but this can vary significantly based on location, health status, and planned activities.

Inflation erodes purchasing power over time. At a 3% annual inflation rate, $100 today will be worth only about $74 in 10 years and just $41 in 30 years.

Our retirement calculator automatically adjusts for inflation (2-5% range) to ensure your savings retain their value throughout your retirement years. This is crucial because retirement can last 30+ years, during which time the cost of goods and services will increase substantially.

We also factor in healthcare inflation, which historically has outpaced general inflation by 2-3 percentage points. This specialized adjustment ensures you're prepared for rising medical costs in retirement.

The choice between Roth and traditional accounts depends on your current tax bracket versus your expected tax bracket in retirement.

Traditional accounts provide tax deductions now but require you to pay taxes on withdrawals in retirement. This option typically benefits those who expect to be in a lower tax bracket during retirement.

Roth accounts offer no immediate tax deduction but provide tax-free withdrawals in retirement. This option generally benefits those who expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement or who value the flexibility of tax-free withdrawals.

Our tax impact analysis feature shows the difference between tax-deferred traditional accounts and tax-free Roth accounts based on your specific situation. Many experts recommend having both types of accounts to provide tax diversification in retirement.

A general guideline is to save 15% of your pre-tax income for retirement, but this varies based on your age, current savings, and retirement goals.

If you're starting late, you may need to save 20% or more. If you began saving in your early 20s, you might manage with 10-12%.

Our calculator determines a personalized monthly savings amount based on your target retirement age and desired lifestyle. It accounts for your current savings, expected investment returns, inflation, and other factors to provide a specific recommendation tailored to your situation.

Remember that employer matching contributions to your 401(k) count toward this savings rate, so be sure to contribute at least enough to receive the full match—it's essentially free money!

Social Security can provide a significant portion of retirement income for many Americans. The average monthly benefit is about $1,800, but this varies based on your earnings history and claiming age.

You can claim Social Security as early as age 62, but benefits are reduced by up to 30% compared to waiting until your full retirement age (66-67 for most people today). Delaying beyond full retirement age increases your benefit by 8% per year until age 70.

Our calculator estimates your benefits based on your earnings history and claiming age, integrating this income source with your personal savings to create a comprehensive retirement plan. It also helps you determine the optimal claiming strategy to maximize lifetime benefits.

For married couples, coordinating claiming strategies can be particularly valuable, potentially adding tens of thousands of dollars in lifetime benefits.

The traditional guideline is the "4% rule," which suggests withdrawing 4% of your retirement savings in the first year, then adjusting that amount annually for inflation. This approach is designed to provide income for approximately 30 years.

However, today's lower expected returns and longer lifespans have led many experts to suggest a more conservative 3-3.5% initial withdrawal rate.

Our calculator uses Monte Carlo simulations to test thousands of potential market scenarios, providing a personalized withdrawal recommendation based on your investment mix, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

We also model dynamic withdrawal strategies that adjust based on market performance, potentially allowing higher lifetime withdrawals while maintaining portfolio sustainability.

Traditionally, investors are advised to gradually shift from growth-oriented investments (stocks) to more conservative investments (bonds) as they approach retirement. This reduces sequence of returns risk—the danger that a market downturn early in retirement could permanently damage your portfolio.

However, with retirements potentially lasting 30+ years, maintaining some growth exposure is important to combat inflation. A common approach is the "glide path" strategy, which gradually reduces stock exposure before and during early retirement, then increases it again in later retirement.

Our calculator helps you find the right balance based on your risk tolerance, income needs, and other assets. For many retirees, a moderate allocation with 40-60% in stocks provides a good balance of growth potential and downside protection.

We also model various asset allocation strategies to help you understand the trade-offs between risk and return in your specific situation.

Healthcare represents one of the largest expenses in retirement. According to Fidelity, the average 65-year-old couple retiring today can expect to spend approximately $300,000 on healthcare costs throughout retirement (excluding long-term care).

Medicare provides valuable coverage starting at age 65, but it doesn't cover everything. You'll still have premiums, deductibles, copays, and costs for services not covered by Medicare (like dental and vision care).

Our healthcare cost estimator projects Medicare premiums, supplemental insurance costs, and out-of-pocket expenses based on your age, health status, and geographic location.

We also factor in long-term care costs, which can exceed $100,000 annually for nursing home care and aren't covered by Medicare. About 70% of retirees will need some form of long-term care, making this an important consideration in comprehensive retirement planning.