Retirement Savings Calculator

How to use the retirement savings calculator

1. Fill in the fields — they start with a worked example.
2. Read the answer, and the arithmetic shown beneath it.
3. Copy the results, or adjust the inputs to compare scenarios.

About this tool

The projection compounds your contributions to retirement age, then shows the same figure adjusted for inflation — because a pot that looks enormous in future money buys considerably less than it appears to.

The drawdown line applies the commonly cited 4% rule as a rough guide to sustainable annual income. It is a rule of thumb from historical US data, not a guarantee, and it assumes a diversified portfolio and a roughly 30-year retirement.

What the arithmetic cannot capture is sequence risk: a market fall early in retirement damages a pot far more than the same fall later, even at identical average returns.

Common uses

• Seeing whether current contributions are on track.
• Comparing the effect of starting five years earlier.
• Estimating sustainable income from a projected pot.

Frequently asked questions

What return should I assume?

Long-run global equity returns have averaged around 7% before inflation, less after fees. Try a range rather than one optimistic figure.

Is the 4% rule reliable?

It is a rule of thumb from historical US data, not a promise. It assumes a diversified portfolio and about a 30-year retirement, and real outcomes vary widely.