Estimated Need
$699,214.99
Retirement Planner
Project your retirement nest egg and compare it to what you'll need.
Projected Nest Egg at Retirement
$1,475,834.89
Surplus / (Shortfall)
$776,619.90
Years to Save
35
Years in Retirement
25
How to use the Retirement Planner
The Retirement Planner is free and runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your device. It opens pre-filled with a realistic example, so you can see how it works before replacing any figure with your own; the results update as you type. Press Calculate to refresh the result panel, or Reset to return to the example.
The inputs it asks for:
- Current Age — a number.
- Retirement Age — a number.
- Current Savings — a dollar amount.
- Monthly Contribution — a dollar amount.
- Expected Annual Return — a percentage (enter 6 for 6%).
- Desired Annual Retirement Income — a dollar amount.
- Life Expectancy (Age) — a number.
The formula
It grows your savings to retirement, then works out the lump sum those retirement years require. The nest egg is your balance plus contributions compounded; the need is the present value, at retirement, of your desired income across your retirement years:
Nest egg = Savings·(1 + r)ⁿ + PMT·((1 + r)ⁿ − 1)/r
Need = Income · (1 − (1 + R)⁻ʸ) / R- r, n, PMT
- the monthly return, months until retirement, and monthly contribution
- R, y, Income
- the annual return, the number of years in retirement, and desired annual income
The "need" treats the balance as still earning your return through retirement (a present-value annuity), not sitting in cash. It doesn't inflate the desired income, so for a distant retirement set the income target in future dollars — or read the surplus as a rough cushion.
Worked example
Using the example values — Current Age 30, Retirement Age 65, Current Savings $50,000.00, Monthly Contribution $500.00, Expected Annual Return 7%, Desired Annual Retirement Income $60,000.00, and 1 more — the Retirement Planner returns a Projected Nest Egg at Retirement of $1,475,834.89. It also reports Estimated Need ($699,214.99), Surplus / (Shortfall) ($776,619.90), Years to Save (35).
Prefer your own numbers? Change any field above and this recomputes instantly.
Key terms
- Nest egg
- The total savings you're projected to have at retirement.
- Present value of an annuity
- The lump sum today that funds a stream of future withdrawals at a given return.
- Surplus / shortfall
- Nest egg minus the lump sum your retirement income requires.
Frequently asked questions
Does it account for inflation?
Not directly — it works in the dollars you enter. For a retirement decades away, set the desired income in future dollars, or use a real (after-inflation) return.
What return should I assume in retirement?
The "need" figure assumes the balance keeps earning your rate while you draw it down. A more cautious plan uses a lower retirement-phase return, which raises the amount needed.
Is a small surplus enough?
Treat it as a cushion, not a guarantee. Market sequence, longevity and inflation all add uncertainty, so a comfortable margin is wise.