Retirement Savings Calculator
Project your retirement savings growth from regular contributions and compound interest.
What is the Retirement Savings Calculator?
This tool projects how a starting balance plus regular monthly contributions grows over time with compound returns — the same math behind any long-term investment account, run forward to your target retirement date.
The formula
Each month, the balance grows by monthly return rate = annual rate ÷ 12, then the monthly contribution is added, compounding every month for the full number of years.
How to use it
- Enter your current savings balance and planned monthly contribution.
- Enter years until retirement and an expected average annual return.
- See your projected balance, split between what you contributed and what growth added on top.
Market returns vary significantly year to year; this calculator assumes a constant average annual return for simplicity, which smooths over real-world volatility. Treat the result as a long-term planning estimate, not a guaranteed outcome — a financial advisor can help stress-test a real retirement plan against different market scenarios.
Want the "why" behind this tool? Read Why Small Monthly Contributions Compound Into Surprisingly Big Numbers.