How to Use Retirement Calculators

Simple guidance to help you choose the right retirement calculator and understand what each result means.

Start here:

If you are already retired or planning withdrawals soon, begin with the Retirement Longevity Calculator.

If you want to estimate your withdrawal rate, try the Retirement Withdrawal Calculator.

If you are still building savings, start with the Savings Growth Calculator or the Savings Goal Calculator.

If you want to estimate employer match and long-term account growth, use the 401(k) Growth Calculator.

General tips for all calculators

Start with conservative assumptions if you are unsure.
Try more than one scenario to compare different outcomes.
Focus on trends and ranges rather than exact predictions.
Use these calculators as planning tools, not guarantees.
Compare results across multiple calculators for a fuller picture.

Retirement Longevity Calculator

Estimates how long your retirement savings may last based on annual withdrawals and an expected return.

Best for people who are retired or close to retirement and want to test how long their money may last under different withdrawal assumptions.

Retirement Withdrawal Calculator

Estimates your annual withdrawal rate as a percentage of your total savings and gives a simple longevity context.

Useful for comparing your withdrawal plan to commonly discussed retirement planning ranges, such as the 4% rule.

Inflation Calculator

Estimates how inflation may affect future annual spending, monthly costs, and buying power over time.

Helpful for understanding why retirement income targets often need to grow over time as prices rise.

Savings Growth Calculator

Estimates how your savings may grow with monthly contributions, compound interest, and time.

Ideal for people still building savings and testing how regular contributions may affect long-term growth.

Savings Goal Calculator

Estimates how long it may take to reach a target savings goal based on your current balance, monthly contributions, and optional investment return.

Helpful for goal-based planning, such as building an emergency fund, reaching a retirement milestone, or saving for a future expense.

401(k) Growth Calculator

Estimates how a 401(k) balance may grow over time based on contributions, employer match, expected return, and years until retirement.

Best for employees who want to project future retirement savings and see how employer match may affect long-term growth.

How to interpret your results

These calculators use simplified assumptions, so results should be viewed as estimates for planning. Real outcomes may differ because of taxes, fees, inflation, changing contributions, spending changes, and market performance.

A good approach is to test a few scenarios instead of relying on one set of numbers. For example, you might compare lower and higher return assumptions, smaller and larger withdrawals, or slower and faster savings rates.

All calculators provide educational estimates only. Actual results will vary based on markets, inflation, taxes, fees, and individual circumstances.