Calculate your projected retirement balance, monthly income, and whether you are on track. Uses 2026 401(k) and IRA contribution limits. See if you will have enough.
Are You on Track? The Fidelity Benchmarks
The most widely-cited retirement readiness benchmarks come from Fidelity: save 1× your salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, and 10× by age 67. These assume retiring at 67 and needing 80% of pre-retirement income. If you are behind, the calculator above shows exactly how much more you need to contribute to close the gap.
The 4% Rule for Retirement Income
The 4% rule, derived from the Trinity Study, says you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year one, then adjust for inflation each year, with high probability your money lasts 30+ years. At $1,000,000: $40,000/year ($3,333/month). At $1,500,000: $60,000/year ($5,000/month). Add your estimated Social Security benefit to get your total retirement income.
2026 Contribution Limits and Free Money
The 401(k) limit is $24,500 in 2026 ($32,500 if 50+). Roth IRA limit is $7,500 ($8,500 if 50+). Contributing enough to capture your full employer match is the highest-return financial move available — a 50%–100% instant return before your money even starts growing. Max the match before any other financial goal except high-interest debt payoff. On a $75,000 salary with a 50% match up to 6%, that’s $2,250/year in free money you leave on the table if you don’t contribute at least 6%. Use our Compound Interest Calculator to see exactly what that free money compounds to over your working years.
Social Security Timing
Claiming Social Security at 62 reduces your benefit by about 30% versus claiming at full retirement age (67 for those born after 1960). Delaying until 70 increases your benefit by about 32% above full retirement age. On an average $1,900/month benefit, that is $570/month more — for life — by waiting 3 extra years. If you’re in good health and can afford to wait, delaying Social Security is often the highest-return financial decision available — a guaranteed 8%/year increase for each year you defer past full retirement age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using the 4% withdrawal rule, you need $1,500,000 to generate $60,000/year in retirement. That assumes a 30-year retirement and a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. Add Social Security — the average benefit in 2026 is around $1,900/month — and your portfolio only needs to cover the gap. If Social Security covers $22,800/year, you need your portfolio to generate $37,200/year, requiring about $930,000 saved.
Fidelity's widely cited benchmarks: save 1x your salary by age 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60, and 10x by 67. On a $75,000 salary, you should have $75,000 at 30, $225,000 at 40, $450,000 at 50, $600,000 at 60, and $750,000 at 67. These assume saving 15% of income annually including employer match, a 5.5% real return after inflation, and retiring at 67. If you're behind, the calculator shows exactly how much more monthly contribution closes the gap.
401(k) limit: $24,500/year for those under 50. If you are 50 or older, you can contribute up to $32,500 (standard $24,500 plus $8,000 catch-up). Roth IRA limit: $7,500 for those under 50, $8,500 for 50+. Under SECURE 2.0, those aged 60–63 get a special higher catch-up for 401(k) plans. HSA limit: $4,400 individual, $8,750 family — a triple tax-advantaged account worth maximizing if you have a high-deductible health plan.
If you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement than you are today, choose Roth (pay taxes now, withdraw tax-free later). If you expect a lower bracket in retirement, choose traditional (reduce taxes now, pay in retirement). Under 35 earning under $75,000: usually Roth. Over 45 in a high income year: often traditional. The smartest approach for most people is to have both — traditional for tax savings now, Roth for tax-free withdrawals later, giving you flexibility to manage brackets in retirement.
Enormously. Investing $500/month from age 25 at 7% average return gives you $1,198,000 at 65. Starting at 35 with the same $500/month gives you $567,000 at 65. That 10-year delay costs you $631,000 in retirement wealth — more than all the money you would contribute in those 10 years. Compound interest is nonlinear — the earlier years are worth far more than the later years.
