Estimate your retirement savings and see how much you'll have at age 65.
Retirement planning is the art of ensuring your future self is financially free. A 401(k) is not just a savings account — it's a tax-advantaged investment account that uses the power of compound interest to turn modest monthly contributions into a substantial nest egg over decades.
Our 401(k) Retirement Calculator projects your estimated balance at retirement based on your current age, salary, contribution rate, employer match, and expected rate of return. It's completely free, works instantly on any device, and requires no sign-up.
Many companies offer to match a percentage of what you personally contribute — for example, a 50% match means your employer adds 50 cents for every dollar you put in. This calculator applies your entered match percentage directly to your monthly contribution. Always check your specific plan document, since many real-world employer matches are capped once your contribution reaches a certain percentage of your salary.
The longer your money stays invested, the harder it works. Even a small increase in your contribution rate during your 20s and 30s can result in hundreds of thousands of extra dollars by retirement, simply due to extra decades of compounding.
Unlike a standard taxable brokerage account, you don't pay taxes on your 401(k) gains every year. This allows your dividends and interest to reinvest and grow unhindered until you withdraw them in retirement.
Where: FV = Future Balance, PMT = Total Monthly Contribution (yours + employer match), r = Monthly Rate of Return, n = Number of Months Until Retirement.
Example: $60,000 salary, 6% contribution, 50% employer match, 7% annual return, retiring at 65:
| Starting Age | Years Invested | Estimated Balance at 65 |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 40 years | ~$1,196,000 |
| 30 | 35 years | ~$842,500 |
| 40 | 25 years | ~$364,000 |
| 50 | 15 years | ~$142,000 |
Starting 10 years earlier can more than double your final balance — this is the true power of compounding time.
| Feature | Traditional 401(k) | Roth 401(k) |
|---|---|---|
| Contributions | Pre-tax (reduces taxable income now) | After-tax |
| Withdrawals in Retirement | Taxed as income | Tax-free |
| Best For | Those expecting a lower tax bracket in retirement | Those expecting a higher tax bracket in retirement |
| Category | Standard Limit | Age 50+ (Catch-up) |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Contribution | $23,000 | $30,500 |
| Total (Employer + Employee) | $69,000 | $76,500 |
| Tax Treatment | Pre-tax | Pre-tax |
If your employer matches contributions and you contribute less than the matched amount, you're leaving free money on the table — always aim to contribute at least enough to capture the full match.
Cashing out your 401(k) instead of rolling it over triggers taxes and penalties, and permanently removes that money from compounding toward your retirement.
Young investors with decades until retirement often benefit from a higher allocation to growth assets like stocks, since they have time to recover from short-term market dips.
The single biggest lever in retirement planning is time — starting early, even with modest contributions, tends to outperform starting late with larger ones. Use the calculator above to test different contribution rates, ages, and return assumptions to see how small changes today can significantly shape your retirement nest egg.