What withdrawal rate is safe?

Many planners use 4% of the starting balance as a guide. Our sustainable figure is a constant real-dollar annuity over your chosen horizon.

Why does inflation matter?

It reduces purchasing power, so we model in real dollars using the inflation-adjusted return.

What if returns are lower than assumed?

Lower the average return input and watch the balance and shortfall change — that is the stress test.

Retirement Calculator

Real-dollar retirement plan: project your nest egg with inflation and employer match, compare it with the income you need, see sustainable withdrawals and how long your money lasts.

Example values are shown — change any of them and the answer updates live.

Current age

years

Retirement age

years

Current savings

Monthly contribution

Employer match %

Annual return

Annual inflation rate

Withdrawal rate

Monthly income needed in retirement

Nest egg at retirement

Current ageRetirement age

Compare scenarios

Start now

$1,511,856

Years to retirement: 35 years

Start 5 years later

$1,040,210

Years to retirement: 30 years

Delaying 5 years costs

$471,646

Employer match

$8,400

Monthly income it supports

$5,040

How the nest egg is projected

Step 1 · Growth of contributions

FV = P(1+r)ⁿ + C·((1+r)ⁿ−1)/r

P=50,000, C=520, n=420

$1,511,856

Step 2 · Income the nest egg supports

income = FV × withdrawal ÷ 12

4% ÷ 12

$5,040

Step 3 · Monthly income in today's dollars

income ÷ (1+inflation)ⁿ

(1 + 2.5%)^35

$2,124

Estimates under the stated assumptions, for illustration — not financial advice.

Compare scenarios

Start now

Start 5 years later

How the nest egg is projected

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