How much do you actually need to retire?
There's no universal number. It depends on your retirement age, life expectancy, lifestyle, inflation and the return your portfolio earns after you stop working. Our calculator handles all of those in one model.
The 4% rule is a useful starting point but assumes US market history and a 30-year horizon. Use the post-retirement return and inflation fields to stress-test more conservative assumptions.
Start early. Because of compounding, contributions made in your 20s are worth multiples of the same dollars added in your 50s. The step-up field rewards anyone who can raise their contribution every year.