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FIRE number

Retirement calculator for the US

For a retirement from 65 to 90 you typically need savings of 18 to 25 times your first-year spending in retirement, less what Social Security will pay. Enter your numbers to see your own target and the monthly investment that builds it. Everything is in US dollars and runs in your browser.

Free · any currency · no sign-up · method last reviewed

Sets typical inflation and returns
yrs
yrs
30 years from now
$
$4,000 · Everything you spend, incl. insurance. Leave out loan payments that end before then.
$
$80,000 · Brokerage, 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, HSA
$
$1,600 · Including 401(k) and IRA contributions and any employer match
Assumptions · 3% inflation · 7% stocks · plan to 90
%
Typical for United States
%
Yearly, after tax
%
Yearly, after tax
%
As your income grows
%
Share of what's already invested
yrs
90+ if retiring early

Your retirement target at 65: $2.2M. On track.

Your retirement target at 65

On track

$2.2M

About 19× your first-year spending of $117K at 65 (that's $48,000 a year in today's money).

At your current investing you'd have about $2.3M at 65.

Invest each month to be retired at 65
$1,516
Rising 2% a year
At your current investing
Age 65
Earliest retirement age investing $1,600/month
Coast FIRE number today
$419K
You have $80,000
Your investments vs your retirement targetAt your current investingRetirement savings needed
$0$575K$1.15M$1.72M$2.3M3640444852566065

In future money (prices rise 3% a year). Assumes steady returns; real markets go up and down.

Will $2.2M last until 90?

Expected returns
Lasts past 90
Stocks earn the expected return every year
Crash in the first year
Runs out at 87
Stocks fall 35% right after you stop working

The target is sized so the money lasts until 90 at expected returns. It uses a bucket strategy: 10 years of spending in bonds and cash, the rest invested for later years. A crash right after you stop working is the biggest risk; the full planner shows how to prepare for it.

Make it a full plan

Add pensions, health costs, children's education and other goals, a year-by-year cash flow, and a bucket strategy for after you stop working. Your numbers from here carry over.

Quick answer: how much do you need to retire in the US?

For a retirement from 65 to 90, you typically need savings of about 18 to 25 times your first-year spending in retirement, with that spending grown by inflation from today, minus what Social Security and any pension will pay. For example, $4,000 a month today is about $116,500 a year in 30 years at 3% inflation, so roughly $2.1 to 2.9 million at retirement before Social Security. Retiring earlier, or planning to 95, needs more.

How this retirement calculator works

  1. Spending at retirement. Today's monthly spending grows with inflation until your retirement age.
  2. Retirement savings needed. We add up every year's spending from retirement to your plan age. Money for the next 10 years sits in bonds and cash; money for later years stays partly in stocks so it can keep up with inflation.
  3. Your savings. What you already have in your 401(k), IRAs and other accounts grows at the returns you enter.
  4. Monthly investment. We work out the first-year monthly amount that fills the gap, rising by your yearly increase, with fewer stocks as retirement gets close.
  5. Will it last? We test your savings year by year at expected returns and after a 35% crash in your first year of retirement.

What changes your retirement number the most in the US?

  • When you claim Social Security. Waiting from 62 to 70 raises the monthly benefit by about three-quarters for someone with a full retirement age of 67, and it lasts for life. That lowers how much your own savings must cover.
  • Your spending. Every $1,000 a month you spend today adds roughly 18 to 25 times its inflated yearly value to what you need.
  • Taxes on withdrawals. Money in a traditional 401(k) or IRA is taxed as income when you take it out; Roth money is not. Enter after-tax returns, or add a margin for tax to your spending.
  • Healthcare. Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket costs belong in your spending, and retiring before 65 means paying for cover until Medicare starts. Rules as of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much money do I need to retire in the US?

For a retirement from 65 to 90, typically about 18 to 25 times your first year of spending in retirement, less what Social Security and any pension will pay. For example, $4,000 a month today becomes about $116,500 a year in 30 years at 3% inflation, so savings of roughly $2.1 to 2.9 million before Social Security. Enter your own numbers above for an exact figure.

How does Social Security change how much I need?

It can cut it a lot, because it pays for life and rises with inflation each year. This quick calculator assumes no other income, so for a quick estimate enter your monthly spending minus your expected Social Security benefit in today's dollars, which you can find in your my Social Security account. For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67; claiming at 62 cuts the benefit by 30%, and waiting until 70 raises it by 24%. The full planner adds it from the age you choose to claim.

How much can I put in a 401(k) and an IRA?

For 2026, up to $24,500 of your own pay into a 401(k), 403(b) or most 457 plans, plus $8,000 more if you are 50 or older, or $11,250 more at ages 60 to 63. Employer contributions come on top. You can also put up to $7,500 into traditional and Roth IRAs combined ($8,600 at 50 or older). The limits usually rise each year with inflation; check irs.gov for the current figures.

When do I have to start taking money out?

Required minimum distributions from traditional 401(k)s and IRAs start at 73, and at 75 for anyone born in 1960 or later. You can usually delay them from a current employer's plan while you still work there. Roth IRAs, and since 2024 Roth 401(k)s, have no required distributions during your lifetime. Withdrawals from traditional accounts are taxed as income, so plan for tax when you size your savings.

How do I plan for healthcare costs in retirement?

Medicare starts at 65, but it is not free: there are monthly premiums for Part B and Part D, plus deductibles and costs that a Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan may cover. Put these in your monthly spending. If you retire before 65, you also need cover until then, through COBRA (usually up to 18 months), the ACA Marketplace or a spouse's plan.

What inflation rate should I use?

Around 3% is a reasonable long-term assumption for the US. The Federal Reserve targets 2%, but prices have risen about 3% a year over the long run and much faster in some years. Medical costs usually rise faster than other prices. If you are unsure, test 4% to see how much more you would need.

Until what age should my retirement plan last?

Plan until at least 90, and to 95 if you are healthy or your family tends to live long. Many people who reach 65 live into their late 80s or 90s, and running out of money at 85 is a much bigger problem than leaving some behind.

Why increase my monthly investing every year?

Raising what you invest by 2 to 5% a year, in line with pay rises, can cut the starting amount you need by a lot, because later, larger contributions do much of the work. The 401(k) and IRA limits also rise most years, so there is usually room to grow.

Is my data stored anywhere?

No. The calculator runs in your browser and your numbers are not sent to any server. The inputs appear in the page address only so you can bookmark or share a result yourself.

Sources

Rules and rates change. Check the current figures with the official source before acting.

For education only, not financial advice. Results depend on your inputs and on assumed returns and inflation, which will differ from reality. Read the disclaimer.