Retirement Savings Projector
Compound interest is patient. Are you?
Estimates only — not financial advice. Assumes monthly compounding, end-of-month contributions, and a constant return; markets are never this smooth.
How to project your retirement savings
- Enter your current age, retirement age, and current savings.
- Add your monthly contribution and the annual return you expect (7% is a common conservative estimate for a stock-heavy portfolio).
- Press Calculate to see the projected nest egg, what you put in, and what growth did.
- Toggle "today's dollars" to strip out inflation and compare the result to prices you know.
- Adjust the monthly contribution until the nest egg lands where you want it.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I save for retirement per month?
A common rule of thumb is 15% of income, but it depends on your age, goals, and expected returns. Plug your own numbers into this projector and adjust the monthly contribution until the nest egg lands where you want it.
What annual return should I assume for retirement savings?
Long-run US stock market returns average about 10% before inflation (~7% after). A balanced stock/bond mix is often modeled at 5-7% nominal. Using a conservative 6-7% keeps projections honest.
What does 'show in today's dollars' mean?
It discounts the projection by 3% annual inflation, so the nest egg is expressed in what dollars are worth right now. $1M in 30 years won't buy what $1M buys today.
Why does starting early matter so much?
Compounding is exponential: money invested early has the most doubling cycles. A 25-year-old saving $300/month often beats a 40-year-old saving $600/month at the same return.
Is this financial advice?
No. Planning estimates only.
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Open tool →Support the codex
This tool is free, with no account and no ads. If it saved you some time, consider supporting the indie dev behind it.