How much will you actually have at retirement? Enter what you’ve saved so far, what you add each month (including any employer match), your expected annual return, and your remaining working years — the calculator projects your final balance and charts the growth year by year.
How the Projection Works
Your current savings P compound monthly at rate i, while every monthly contribution PMT starts its own compounding clock the moment it’s invested. Over multi-decade horizons, interest-on-interest becomes the dominant force in the final number.
Worked Example
$50,000 saved today, $500/month contributions, 7% expected return, 30 years to go: you’d contribute $180,000 more over those years, yet finish with roughly $1,015,000. About $785,000 of that is investment growth — the market did most of the heavy lifting.
Making the Number Meaningful
A common starting point is the 4% guideline: multiply your desired annual retirement spending by 25 for a rough nest-egg target. Want $60,000/year from your portfolio? That suggests around $1.5 million. Test different contribution levels above to see what closes your gap — and remember projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rate of return should I assume?
Diversified stock portfolios have historically averaged around 7–10% annually before inflation over long periods, but past performance never guarantees future results. Many planners use 6–7% to stay conservative.
Do employer 401(k) matches count as contributions?
Yes — include the match in your monthly contribution. It compounds exactly like your own money, and leaving it out understates your projection significantly.
Does this account for inflation?
No, results are in future dollars. To see today’s purchasing power, enter a real return instead: expected return minus expected inflation (e.g., 7% − 3% = 4%).