United States · USD · Pension guide
United States retirement calculator
Separate the day you stop working from the day Social Security begins. Bring your personal benefit estimates and see how accessible savings could fund the years in between.
Jump to calculator ↓ Understand the pension system
What can this calculator estimate?
It compares spending, manually entered pensions and accessible savings in USD, in today's purchasing power.
Use your own after-tax pension estimate. Read the full example
Compare invented scenarios. Amounts are not forecasts or entitlement calculations.
View results ↓Worked example. Change the inputs to explore your plan.
From age 65 to 66 · 12 modelled months · USD
12-month retirement spending estimate
US$34,002
After tax · today's money
- Income you entered
- + US$0
- From savings or pension pot
- + US$34,002
A level budget through age 95 under your assumptions. It can use up savings and leaves no inheritance reserve. Review each year; this is not a guaranteed spending amount.
See the 12-month breakdown
Rounded monthly averages, not actual payment dates. Income above this budget is not reinvested.
| Month | Income you entered | From savings or pension pot | Spending budget | Savings left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$770,919 |
| 2 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$769,334 |
| 3 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$767,746 |
| 4 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$766,156 |
| 5 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$764,564 |
| 6 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$762,968 |
| 7 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$761,370 |
| 8 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$759,770 |
| 9 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$758,167 |
| 10 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$756,561 |
| 11 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$754,953 |
| 12 | US$0 | US$2,833 | US$2,833 | US$753,342 |
Savings left after 12 months: US$753,342
How this budget is calculated ↗The projection below follows your entered spending or withdrawal plan; this budget is a separate estimate.
Accessible savings at retirement · 65
US$772,501
Today's money · After tax, in today's money.
At retirement, under these assumptions. This is not an extra monthly contribution.
Your accessible savings over time
Today's moneyThe first spending shortfall appears around age 87.8. Later pension payments may change the gap.
Pensions are set to zero. Add your estimates to include them.
See the year-by-year breakdown
| Age at year end | Phase | Savings added | Real growth | Pension income | Savings withdrawn | Unfunded spending | Savings left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$6,957 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$367,457 |
| 47 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$7,299 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$385,256 |
| 48 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$7,648 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$403,404 |
| 49 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$8,004 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$421,908 |
| 50 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$8,367 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$440,775 |
| 51 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$8,737 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$460,011 |
| 52 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$9,114 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$479,625 |
| 53 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$9,498 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$499,624 |
| 54 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$9,891 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$520,014 |
| 55 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$10,290 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$540,804 |
| 56 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$10,698 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$562,003 |
| 57 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$11,114 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$583,616 |
| 58 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$11,537 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$605,654 |
| 59 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$11,970 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$628,123 |
| 60 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$12,410 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$651,033 |
| 61 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$12,859 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$674,393 |
| 62 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$13,317 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$698,210 |
| 63 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$13,784 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$722,495 |
| 64 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$14,261 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$747,255 |
| 65 | Saving | US$10,500 | US$14,746 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$772,501 |
| 66 | Retirement | US$0 | US$14,771 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$745,272 |
| 67 | Retirement | US$0 | US$14,237 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$717,509 |
| 68 | Retirement | US$0 | US$13,693 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$689,202 |
| 69 | Retirement | US$0 | US$13,138 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$660,340 |
| 70 | Retirement | US$0 | US$12,572 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$630,911 |
| 71 | Retirement | US$0 | US$11,995 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$600,906 |
| 72 | Retirement | US$0 | US$11,406 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$570,313 |
| 73 | Retirement | US$0 | US$10,806 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$539,119 |
| 74 | Retirement | US$0 | US$10,195 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$507,314 |
| 75 | Retirement | US$0 | US$9,571 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$474,885 |
| 76 | Retirement | US$0 | US$8,935 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$441,820 |
| 77 | Retirement | US$0 | US$8,287 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$408,107 |
| 78 | Retirement | US$0 | US$7,626 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$373,733 |
| 79 | Retirement | US$0 | US$6,952 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$338,685 |
| 80 | Retirement | US$0 | US$6,265 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$302,950 |
| 81 | Retirement | US$0 | US$5,564 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$266,514 |
| 82 | Retirement | US$0 | US$4,850 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$229,364 |
| 83 | Retirement | US$0 | US$4,121 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$191,485 |
| 84 | Retirement | US$0 | US$3,378 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$152,863 |
| 85 | Retirement | US$0 | US$2,621 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$113,485 |
| 86 | Retirement | US$0 | US$1,849 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$73,334 |
| 87 | Retirement | US$0 | US$1,062 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 | US$32,396 |
| 88 | Retirement | US$0 | US$272 | US$0 | US$32,668 | US$9,332 | US$0 |
| 89 | Retirement | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 |
| 90 | Retirement | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 |
| 91 | Retirement | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 |
| 92 | Retirement | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 |
| 93 | Retirement | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 |
| 94 | Retirement | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 |
| 95 | Retirement | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$0 | US$42,000 | US$0 |
Educational estimates. Not personal financial advice. Manual pension amounts. No eligibility, tax calculation or future benefit reassessment. This model assumes steady returns and is not a probability of success.
Funding the years before Social Security
Our worked example separates the years before an entered pension begins from the years after it starts. Every amount and age is invented. It is a calculation illustration, not a typical pension, an entitlement estimate or a recommended retirement age. Use a new SSA estimate whenever the claiming age or expected earnings change. Spouse and survivor benefits need their own official assessment.
Read the full exampleUnderstand the pension system
United States
Common questions
Does this optimize my Social Security claiming age?
No. It compares the timing and amounts you enter. It does not reproduce SSA entitlement calculations, spouse benefits or a household claiming strategy.
Which money can I count as savings?
Include only capital you can draw on for this plan, after allowing for access restrictions and taxes outside the model. Exclude property you will not sell and assets already used to fund an entered pension payment. Future lump sums are not modelled.
Do pension payments keep pace with inflation?
The illustration holds payments constant in today's purchasing power. Your actual pension may have different increases, caps or no indexation. Test a lower real payment as a separate scenario if needed; this tool does not forecast those rules.
Are my financial inputs stored?
Your figures are calculated in your browser. They are not uploaded or saved in the address bar. Only public, invented example identifiers appear in example links. CSV exports are created on your device.
Methodology · 1.0
Methodology
12-month retirement spending estimate
Already retired? Set the stop-work age equal to your current age to estimate the next 12 months. Otherwise the estimate starts at your chosen retirement age.
Rounded monthly averages, not actual payment dates. Income above this budget is not reinvested.
How this budget is calculated ↗
One consistent money basis
All inputs and results use today's purchasing power. Enter net pension payments and spending after tax. The net return is nominal, after investment taxes and fees. Monthly real growth factor = ((1 + net return / 100) / (1 + inflation / 100))^(1/12). Savings contributions remain constant in real terms and arrive at month-end until retirement.
How the income gap is funded
From retirement, the monthly gap is max(0, spending − active pension payments). Savings grow first, then a month-end withdrawal funds the gap up to the available balance. Excess pension income is not reinvested. The capital needed at retirement is the sum of these future gaps discounted at the monthly real return; no future pension is borrowed against.
What the estimate leaves out
Amounts stay constant in real terms: the model assumes payments keep pace with inflation, which your actual pension may not do. Ages use whole years; no calendar dates, pension accrual, changing taxes, benefit offsets, future lump sums, market volatility or inheritance target are modelled. Income before your entered retirement age is excluded. Changing a start age does not recalculate the payment amount. Only combine streams that share the same dates.
Official sources & pension overviews
Sources checked . Manual pension amounts. No eligibility, tax calculation or future benefit reassessment. This model assumes steady returns and is not a probability of success.