Spending matters most
Every $1,000 less you spend per year lowers the 25× target by $25,000. Knowing your real spending — not a guess — is the single biggest input.
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Free retirement calculator
How much do I need to retire?
Enter a few numbers below. You'll see what your savings could grow to by your retirement age, and the age your money lasts until at your planned spending.
- No credit card required
- No bank connection needed
- Sample numbers already filled in
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In today's dollars
A common planning assumption is 5–7%
Your estimate
Before income tax, in today's dollars
- Savings at age 65
- $1,230,421
- Your money lasts until
- age 80
- Rule of thumb: 25× yearly spending
- $1,500,000
The classic “4% rule” target. Your projection above accounts for growth before retirement, so the number you actually need to save can be lower.
Your plan lasts until age 80.
Add Social Security and your accounts to see if it reaches 90+. Free for 14 days, no card, 1-tap Google save — your numbers come with you.
Save my plan freeWith Social Security at 67, most plans last 3–5 years longer — see yours
What changes the number
“How much do I need to retire” doesn't have one answer — it has three levers, and each one moves the result more than most people expect.
Time does the heavy lifting
Money invested at 6% doubles roughly every 12 years. Starting five years earlier can matter more than saving a little more each month.
Retirement age is a lever too
Working two years longer adds contributions and growth, and shortens the years your savings must cover — it helps from both directions.
What this calculator leaves out
This page is a quick estimate. A real plan also accounts for Social Security timing, pensions, one-time events like college or a home purchase, healthcare before Medicare, and market uncertainty. Finnlight models all of it with the same engine you just used.
- Social Security estimates at 62, full retirement age, or 70.
- Life events — college, a car, a home purchase — placed on your timeline.
- A Monte Carlo simulator that tests your plan across hundreds of market paths.
- A monthly check that compares your real spending against the plan.
See your full plan, not just one number
Start with the demo to add Social Security, life events, and your real accounts. Finnlight is an educational planning tool and does not provide financial, tax, or legal advice.