Retirement Savings Target Calculator
Enter your target retirement nest egg and learn exactly how much to save each month.
What this calculator does
The most common mistake in retirement planning is not knowing the gap between where you are and where you need to be. This tool works backwards: tell us your target nest egg (e.g., $2 million), your current assets, expected return, and years to retirement, and we will calculate your required monthly contribution. Starting 10 years late can force you to triple your monthly deposits. We recommend pairing this tool with our 'Real Return' calculator to ensure your target amount still holds purchasing power decades from now.
Formula & how it works
Required Monthly Contribution (PMT) = (FV − P × (1+r)^n) × r / ((1+r)^n − 1). FV is your target, P is current savings, r is monthly rate, and n is total months.
Worked examples
- Age 30, target 20M by age 60, current savings 1M, 7% return: You need to invest roughly 16,400 per month.
- If you delay starting until age 40 with the exact same goals, your monthly requirement jumps to 35,000—a massive penalty for waiting.
Frequently asked questions
- How much money do I actually need to retire?
- A popular rule of thumb is the '4% Rule': Annual Expenses ÷ 4% = Target Nest Egg. If you need 80K a year, you need roughly 2M saved.
- Will inflation ruin my retirement nest egg?
- Yes. 20M today will only have the purchasing power of 8.24M in 30 years at 3% inflation. Plan your goals using inflation-adjusted returns.