Free Retirement Calculators —
401k, FIRE, Roth IRA & More.

The most common rule of thumb is 25× your expected annual spending in retirement, derived from the 4% safe withdrawal rate. If you plan to spend $60,000/year, you need a $1.5 million portfolio. This doesn't account for Social Security or pension income — use the Retirement Savings Goal Calculator above with your actual numbers for a personalised target.

The 4% rule means you can withdraw 4% of your savings in your first year of retirement, then increase that amount with inflation each year — and historically the money has lasted 30 years or more. For retirements longer than 30 years, many planners recommend 3–3.5%. Use the Withdrawal Rate Calculator to stress-test your portfolio at different withdrawal rates.

Fidelity benchmarks: 1× salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, 10× by 67. On a $75,000 salary: $75k at 30, $225k at 40, $450k at 50. These are rough guides — use the 401k Growth Calculator to project your personal balance and see whether you are on track.

Traditional IRA: contributions are pre-tax (tax deduction now), but all withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income. Roth IRA: contributions are after-tax (no deduction now), but qualified withdrawals are 100% tax-free. Roth wins if your tax rate rises in retirement; Traditional wins if it falls. 2025 limit: $7,000 ($8,000 if 50+). Use the Roth vs Traditional IRA Calculator to compare.

You can claim at 62 (reduced up to 30%), at Full Retirement Age 67 (born 1960+), or delay to 70 for 8%/year in credits. Waiting from 62 to 70 increases your benefit by ~77%. Break-even age is typically 80–82. Use the Social Security Estimate Calculator for your personal break-even.

FIRE means aggressively saving to retire far before traditional retirement age. Your FIRE number = 25× annual expenses. Coast FIRE is the portfolio size at which you can stop contributing and let savings compound to your FIRE number by a target retirement age without further contributions. Use the FIRE Number Calculator for both figures.

Starting at age 73 (SECURE 2.0), the IRS requires minimum annual withdrawals from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s. Amount = prior year-end balance ÷ IRS life expectancy factor (e.g., 26.5 at age 73). Failure to take your RMD results in a 25% excise tax on the shortfall. Use the RMD Calculator to project your requirements.

Monthly payments provide guaranteed lifetime income; a lump sum gives flexibility and potential for higher returns. Key metric: break-even age — how old you need to be for cumulative pension payments to exceed the invested lump sum. Use the Pension vs Lump Sum Calculator to find your personal break-even age.

Employee limit: $23,500. Age 50–59 & 64+: $7,500 catch-up = $31,000 total. Age 60–63 super catch-up (SECURE 2.0): $11,250 extra = $34,750 total. IRA limit: $7,000 ($8,000 if 50+). Total with employer contributions: $70,000. Use the Catch-Up Contribution Calculator to see the impact.

At 3% inflation, $60,000 of today's spending requires $108,500 in 20 years and $145,000 in 30 years to maintain purchasing power. Both the Withdrawal Rate and Savings Goal calculators include inflation inputs so your projections account for this erosion.

Coast FIRE is the portfolio amount at which you can stop contributing and let savings compound — without adding more — to your full FIRE number by a target retirement age. Formula: Coast FIRE = FIRE Number ÷ (1 + r)^years. At 7% real returns, $200,000 at age 35 coasts to ~$1.07M by 65. Use the FIRE Number Calculator.

Maxing 401k ($31,000/yr age 50+) plus IRA ($8,000/yr) for 17 years at 7% generates approximately $1.07 million by age 67 from zero. Key: max catch-up contributions, delay Social Security to 70, consider working a few extra years — each year dramatically reduces the portfolio needed. Use the Catch-Up Contribution Calculator.

The most impactful strategy is converting money from a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in the years before age 73, when forced withdrawals begin — you lock in today's lower rate on decades of future growth. Before claiming Social Security, draw down tax-deferred accounts first to keep your income — and tax bracket — lower. Once you're 70½ or older, donating directly from your IRA to charity counts as your required withdrawal without adding to taxable income. Use the Retirement Income Tax Calculator above to model your specific income mix.

A common benchmark is 15% of your gross income, including any employer match. On a $75,000 salary that's roughly $937/month — about $562 from you plus a 4% employer match of $250. If you're starting later than 25, aim for 20% or more to compensate for fewer compounding years. Use the 401k Growth Calculator above to project your balance at retirement based on your actual contribution rate.

Yes — retiring at 60 is achievable, but requires a larger nest egg than retiring at 67, for two reasons: more years of retirement to fund, and a 7-year wait before Medicare (65) and full Social Security (67). Using the 4% rule, you'd need approximately 25× your annual spending before Social Security begins. You can also access 401k funds penalty-free at 59½. Use the Retirement Savings Goal Calculator to find your exact target.

A long-term average of 7% annually (after inflation) is the most widely cited benchmark for a diversified 401k. The S&P 500 has historically returned about 10% before inflation — subtract roughly 3% for inflation and you get 7% in real terms. Use the 401k Growth Calculator above with 5%, 7%, and 9% to see the range of outcomes for your balance.

According to Vanguard's How America Saves 2024 report — covering 5 million+ 401k accounts — the overall average balance is $134,128. However, the median is only $35,286. The median is the better benchmark: half of Americans have more, half have less. In the 55–64 group, the average is $244,750 but the median is $87,571 — less than 36%. See the full breakdown by age group in the reference table below.

Not necessarily — especially in the early and mid stages of planning. The core numbers (how much to save, when to claim Social Security, whether Roth or Traditional wins for your bracket) can be calculated accurately with free tools like the ones on this page. A financial advisor adds the most value for complex situations: pension decisions, estate planning, tax optimisation across multiple account types, or significant assets. Use these calculators to understand your numbers first — then any advisor conversation will be faster and more focused.