Find out if you're on track to retire comfortably - and exactly how much you need to save each month.
US retirement saving uses 401(k), Traditional and Roth IRA, HSA, and (for self-employed) SEP-IRA and Solo 401(k). IRS publishes annual contribution limits each November. Social Security retirement age is 67 for those born 1960 or later; SECURE 2.0 raised the RMD start age to 73 (rising to 75 by 2033).
US retirement saving has a hierarchy of tax-advantaged accounts most savers don't use in the right order. For most W-2 employees, the mathematically optimal funding sequence runs as follows.
1. 401(k) up to employer match — typically 3-6% of salary. Immediate 100% return on the matched portion plus tax deferral on top. Don't skip this — it's the single highest-return move available in personal finance.
2. HSA (if HDHP-enrolled) — triple-tax-advantaged: tax-deductible in, tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical. 2024 limits: $4,150 self / $8,300 family + $1,000 catch-up (55+). Investable above a minimum cash balance. Excellent stealth retirement account.
3. Roth IRA (within MAGI limits) — 2024 limit $7,000 + $1,000 catch-up; phase-out at $146-161k MAGI single and $230-240k MFJ. Backdoor Roth available above limits (subject to pro-rata rule with existing pre-tax IRA balances). Tax-free growth and qualified withdrawals.
4. 401(k) to the annual limit — 2024 limit $23,000 + $7,500 catch-up (50+); combined employer+employee cap $69,000. Traditional vs Roth election depends on current vs projected retirement marginal rate.
5. Mega-Backdoor Roth (if plan allows) — after-tax 401(k) contributions converted in-plan to Roth, up to the combined $69k limit minus pre-tax + employer match.
6. Taxable brokerage — after tax-advantaged accounts are maxed. Long-term capital gains 0% / 15% / 20%. Use tax-efficient ETFs and harvest losses opportunistically.
The calculator handles: - Multi-account allocation modelling - Roth vs Traditional break-even (current vs projected retirement marginal rate) - Social Security benefit integration using SSA's bend points - RMD scheduling at age 73, with the 75 transition under SECURE 2.0 - Self-employed accounts (SEP-IRA up to 25% of net SE income capped, Solo 401(k) up to $69k combined)
For account rules and current contribution limits, IRS Publication 590-A/B (IRAs), Publication 560 (Retirement Plans for Small Business), and the SSA retirement planner are the authoritative federal sources.
Find out if you're on track to retire comfortably - and exactly how much you need to save each month.
A common rule of thumb is 25× your expected annual spending in retirement — the inverse of the 4% safe-withdrawal rate. If you plan to spend $40,000 a year, you need about $1 million invested. Your exact target depends on retirement age, expected real returns, inflation, and any other income such as a state pension or social security.
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This calculator implements the standard retirement growth + drawdown formula: Future value = PV × (1+r)^n + PMT × [((1+r)^n − 1) / r]. Region-specific tax and rate defaults are sourced directly from each country's primary government source and reviewed against the publication date below.
Last verified: May 2026.