Retirement Savings Calculator
How much will your retirement savings grow? Our free Retirement Savings Calculator projects your nest egg from monthly contributions, any employer match, and expected investment growth - no sign-up needed.
Retirement savings
Project your retirement savings from monthly contributions, employer match, and growth.
FAQs
How does an employer match work?
Many employers add money to your retirement account based on what you contribute - for example, matching 50% of your contributions up to a limit. It's effectively a raise earmarked for retirement, and failing to contribute enough to earn the full match means leaving money on the table.
What return should I assume for retirement projections?
Long-term investors often model 5-7% average annual returns for a diversified portfolio after accounting for typical market history. Use conservative assumptions for planning - it's better to be pleasantly surprised than to fall short. Always run low, medium, and high scenarios.
How it works
Retirement saving rests on three levers: how much you contribute, how long the money grows, and what return it earns. An employer match, where your employer adds money alongside yours, acts as a fourth lever - essentially free money that also compounds for decades.
For example, contributing $500/month for 30 years at a 7% average annual return grows to roughly $566,000. If an employer matches half your contribution (adding $250/month), the total jumps to about $849,000 - the match alone is worth nearly $283,000 thanks to compounding.
Starting early beats contributing more later. Someone who saves $400/month from age 25 to 65 ends up with far more than someone saving $800/month from 45 to 65, even though the late starter contributes more total cash. Time is the most powerful lever you have.
Use the calculator to test scenarios: What if you increase contributions 1% each year? What if returns average 5% instead of 7%? Seeing the range of outcomes helps you set a contribution level you can sustain with confidence.
The Employer Match: The Best Return You'll Ever Get
An employer match is an instant 50% or 100% return on your contribution before markets do anything. If your employer matches your contributions dollar-for-dollar up to a limit, every dollar you put in becomes two immediately - no investment on earth reliably offers that.
Prioritize contributing enough to capture the full match before directing money elsewhere. After the match is secured, you can weigh additional retirement contributions against other goals like an emergency fund or paying down high-interest debt.
Why Starting Early Beats Saving More Later
Compound growth rewards the earliest dollars most. Money invested at 25 has 40 years to compound; money invested at 45 has 20. At 7% growth, each dollar invested at 25 becomes about $15 by 65, while a dollar invested at 45 becomes less than $4.
This math favors imperfect action now over perfect action later. Even small contributions in your twenties - amounts that feel almost symbolic - can outweigh much larger contributions made in your fifties. Start with what you can, then increase over time.
Building a Contribution Habit That Lasts
The best retirement plan is one you actually stick with. Automate contributions so they leave your paycheck before you see them, and increase the rate gradually - for instance, directing half of each raise toward savings so your lifestyle still improves.
Review once a year, not once a week. Retirement investing rewards patience and punishes tinkering; an annual check-in to rebalance and confirm you're on track is plenty. The calculator gives you the target - automation and consistency do the rest.