Getting Started

How detailed do you want your retirement plan?

Both modes tell you when you can retire. Advanced just takes a few more minutes and gives a significantly more accurate picture.

⚡
Quick Estimate
Answer 4 questions. Get your retirement age in under 60 seconds. Great for a ballpark number.
4 questions · ~1 min
🔬
Full Analysis
Includes spending breakdown, location, other income, and investment style. Much more accurate.
8 questions · ~4 min
✓
Your Finances

Tell us where you stand today

We'll use this as the baseline to calculate exactly when you can stop working.

yrs
$
$
$
Please fill in all fields with valid values.
Retirement Spending

How much will you spend each year in retirement?

Think about what your life actually costs — not what you earn today. Most retirees need 70–80% of their pre-retirement income.

$
Please enter a valid spending amount.
Retirement Spending

Build your retirement budget

Breaking spending into categories gives a far more accurate picture than a single number. Fill in what applies — leave at $0 if not relevant. All figures are monthly.

🏠 Housing (rent/mortgage, HOA, repairs)
$
🚗 Transport (car, insurance, gas, transit)
$
🍽️ Food (groceries + dining out)
$
🏥 Healthcare (premiums, copays, dental)
$
✈️ Travel & Leisure (vacations, hobbies, entertainment)
$
🛍️ Personal & Misc (clothing, subscriptions, gifts)
$
👨‍👩‍👧 Family (dependents, college support, eldercare)
$
📦 Other
$
Estimated Monthly Total
$0
Annual equivalent: $0 — this is the number used in your retirement calculation.
Please enter at least one spending category.
Investment Strategy

How will your money grow?

Select a preset or enter your own expected annual return. Historical US stock market average is ~10% nominal, ~7% after inflation.

Conservative
Bonds-heavy, CDs, money market. Minimal volatility.
6%
Average — Suggested
Broad market index funds. Historical US average return.
10%
Custom Rate
Enter your own expected annual return.
—
Enter your expected annual return (%)
% / yr
Please select or enter a return rate.
Where You'll Live

Where do you plan to retire?

Location dramatically impacts how far your money goes. Listed from most affordable to most expensive.

🌏
Southeast Asia or Latin America — Budget
Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Mexico (non-tourist areas). Low cost of living, warm climate, growing expat communities. Healthcare is affordable and often high quality.
~$20–30k/yradjusted multiplier
🌍
Eastern Europe or Central America
Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Panama. Great infrastructure, EU access (Portugal), modern amenities. Popular with FIRE community for the balance of quality and cost.
~$30–45k/yradjusted multiplier
🏘️
US — Rural or Small Town
Midwest, South, Appalachian region. Lower housing costs, no state income tax in some states (TX, FL, TN). Familiar systems, proximity to family. Less amenities than cities.
~$40–55k/yradjusted multiplier
🇺🇸
US — Mid-Size City · Default
Denver, Austin, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh. Urban amenities without coastal price tags. Strong job markets if semi-retired. Good baseline for calculation.
~$55–75k/yradjusted multiplier
🏙️
US — Major Metro
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Miami. High housing costs, but world-class culture, healthcare, and transport. Requires a larger portfolio.
~$75–110k/yradjusted multiplier
🗼
Western Europe, Australia or Japan
UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Japan. Strong social safety nets, universal healthcare in many countries, high quality of life. Higher taxes and cost of living.
~$80–120k/yradjusted multiplier
Other Income Sources

Will you have income beyond your portfolio?

Any income that reduces how much your investments need to cover. This is separate from your investment returns — it's money coming in from other sources.

💼 Part-time work 🏠 Rental property 📈 Dividends 🏛️ Pension 🌐 Online business 👴 Social Security 🎨 Freelance / consulting 💸 Inheritance
$
⚠ Important: Do not include returns from your investment portfolio here. This field is for income from completely separate sources — rental income, a pension, Social Security, part-time work, etc. Your investment portfolio withdrawals are calculated separately using the 4% rule.
Final Step

Almost there — one last thing

A simple investment assumption to complete your estimate. You can adjust this later.

Conservative
Bonds, CDs, low-risk assets
6%
Average — Suggested
Broad market index funds. Historical US average.
10%

Most people think about retirement in terms of age, not numbers. The reality is that retirement has nothing to do with how old you are. It happens when your savings can generate enough income to cover your expenses indefinitely. Get there at 40 or at 70 — the math is the same either way.

Your savings rate is the single biggest lever you have. It determines both how fast your portfolio grows and how much income you need to replace when you stop working. Small increases in your savings rate can shave years off your retirement timeline in ways that feel counterintuitive until you run the numbers.

Common Questions

How much do I need to retire?
A common rule of thumb is the 25x rule: multiply your expected annual expenses in retirement by 25. That gives you the portfolio size needed to sustain a 4% annual withdrawal indefinitely. If you plan to spend $60,000 a year in retirement, you need around $1.5 million saved.
What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule is a guideline that says you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year one of retirement and adjust for inflation each year after, with a high probability your money lasts 30 years. It comes from research on historical market returns and is widely used as a retirement planning benchmark.
How does savings rate affect retirement age?
Dramatically. Saving 10% of your income might mean retiring at 65. Saving 30% could mean retiring in your late 40s. A higher savings rate does two things at once: it builds your portfolio faster and it reduces the income you need to replace in retirement, since you are already living on less.
What return rate should I use for retirement planning?
Most planners use 6-7% annually as a conservative estimate after inflation for a diversified index fund portfolio. Using a lower number gives you a more realistic floor. If the market does better, you retire earlier. If it does worse, you have a cushion built in.