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Free interactive tool · CFP®-led · Sherman Oaks, CA

Are you actually on track
to retire?

Three numbers. One honest answer. No email required.

Most "retirement calculators" give you one number and call it a day. This one runs three in real time: your projected portfolio at retirement, your sustainable annual income from that portfolio, and whether the math actually adds up to the lifestyle you want. Adjust the sliders. Watch the dashboard update. Get an honest, immediate answer.

Use the calculator Or read about retirement planning
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Are you actually on track to retire?

Most "retirement calculators" give you one number and call it a day. Real planning looks at three things together: what your portfolio will be worth, what it can sustainably pay you, and whether that matches the lifestyle you want.

This calculator runs all three in real time. Adjust the sliders and watch the dashboard update.

Calculations use a 7% average annual return (growth phase), 3% inflation adjustment, and a 4% sustainable withdrawal rate. For illustration only — not a guarantee of future results.

42yrs
65yrs
$
$
$
Portfolio at retirement
$3,820,068
Projected value at target age
Sustainable income
$152,803
Per year, using 4% rule
On-track status
Shortfall
Short by $143,216/yr
There's a gap. You're about $143,216/year short of your desired retirement income. Closing it typically means increasing savings, adjusting your target age, or restructuring your portfolio for better tax efficiency. That's exactly what a planning conversation is for.
Talk to a CFP® about closing the gap

Disclaimer: This is a simplified projection. A real plan accounts for Social Security, tax location, spending phases, sequence-of-returns risk, and your specific portfolio mix.

02 / How to read your results

Three numbers. Here is what each one means.

The dashboard above shows three figures that work together. Understanding what each one is telling you is the first step in turning the calculator output into an actual plan.

01 / The first number

Portfolio at retirement

What your investment accounts will be worth on the day you retire, projected forward from today using your current savings, your annual contribution rate, and an assumed 7% average annual return. This is your wealth at the starting line of retirement — the asset base everything else depends on.

02 / The second number

Sustainable annual income

What that portfolio can pay you each year, using the 4% rule. The 4% rule is a widely-accepted spending guideline based on historical market data — it says you can withdraw 4% of the portfolio in year one of retirement, adjust upward for inflation each year, and have a high probability of the money lasting 30+ years.

03 / The third number

On-track status

The verdict: does your sustainable income actually meet the lifestyle target you entered (adjusted for 30 years of 3% inflation)? If the math is short, you have a gap to close. If it shows a surplus, you have flexibility. Either way, the number tells you exactly what conversation to have next.

03 / Honest disclosure

What this calculator does not account for.

We built this tool to give you a fast, honest snapshot — but real retirement planning is more complicated than any calculator. Here is what we deliberately left out, and why a real plan looks at all of it.

  • Social Security and pensions. Most retirees have one or both. The claiming-age decision alone can swing lifetime benefits by hundreds of thousands of dollars. This calculator only models portfolio-funded income.
  • Sequence-of-returns risk. A 7% average return doesn't mean 7% every year. The order in which good and bad years arrive can dramatically change retirement outcomes — especially in the first decade of retirement.
  • Tax location strategy. Money in pre-tax accounts, Roth accounts, and taxable accounts isn't equivalent. Real planning includes which accounts to draw from in what order to minimize lifetime taxes.
  • Spending phases. Retirees typically spend more in the active early years (the "go-go" years), less in the middle (the "slow-go" years), and more again at the end on healthcare. A flat-line spending model is a simplification.
  • Healthcare costs and Medicare timing. Healthcare is one of the largest line items in retirement — and it changes substantially at age 65 when Medicare kicks in. Planning the bridge years matters.
  • Your specific portfolio mix. A 100% stock portfolio and a 60/40 stock-bond mix have very different risk profiles, even if their long-run averages are similar. This calculator assumes a generic 7% return.
  • Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). Once you reach RMD age, the IRS requires certain withdrawals from pre-tax accounts. RMDs can affect your tax bracket and your overall plan.
  • Estate and legacy goals. If part of the goal is leaving wealth to family or charity, the math changes. The calculator assumes you spend the portfolio down for your own income only.
Talk through your specific situation
04 / FAQ

Calculator questions, answered.

Common questions we hear about the calculator and what to do with the results. See all 25 FAQs →

What does this retirement calculator actually compute?
The calculator runs three numbers in real time. First, your projected portfolio value at retirement, based on your current savings, annual savings rate, years to retirement, and an assumed 7% average annual return. Second, your sustainable annual retirement income, calculated using the 4% rule (the maximum percentage you can withdraw from your portfolio annually without depleting it). Third, the gap or surplus between that sustainable income and your desired annual retirement income, adjusted for 3% annual inflation. The dashboard tells you whether you're on track or have a shortfall.
What assumptions does this calculator use?
Three assumptions: a 7% average annual return during the accumulation phase, 3% annual inflation, and a 4% sustainable withdrawal rate at retirement. These are common industry benchmarks for illustration purposes. Real returns vary year to year, real inflation varies year to year, and sustainable withdrawal rates depend on your specific portfolio mix and time horizon. The calculator is for planning illustration only and not a guarantee of any future result.
What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule is a retirement spending guideline that suggests a retiree can withdraw 4% of their portfolio in the first year of retirement, then adjust that dollar amount for inflation each subsequent year, with a high probability of the portfolio lasting 30 or more years. It's based on historical market data from the Trinity Study and similar research. The 4% rule is widely used as a starting point but doesn't account for individual factors like sequence-of-returns risk, tax planning, varying spending phases, or the specific composition of your portfolio.
My results show I'm off track — what should I do?
There are essentially three levers you can pull to close a retirement gap: increase your savings rate, adjust your target retirement age, or improve the after-tax efficiency and growth profile of your portfolio. The right combination depends on your specific situation: how much runway you have, what your career income trajectory looks like, your current tax situation, and what flexibility you have on retirement timing. A planning conversation can help map out which levers will move the needle most for your specific case.
Why doesn't the calculator include Social Security or pension income?
This is a simplified projection that focuses on portfolio-funded retirement income. A real retirement plan accounts for Social Security claiming strategy, pension or 457 plan benefits, healthcare costs and Medicare timing, sequence-of-returns risk, tax-location strategy across account types, and varying spending phases through retirement. The calculator gives you the portfolio piece of the picture — but the complete plan requires looking at all the income streams together. That's what a CFP® planning conversation can help with.
Your Bridge to Wealth

A calculator is a start.
A plan goes further.

If your numbers showed a gap, or even if they didn't, thirty minutes on a call is enough to talk through the parts the calculator can't see. No sales pitch. No obligation. Just a CFP® looking at your full picture.

Book a consultation Call (310) 620-1150

Important Disclosures

Investment advisory services are offered through Acrylic Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Client assets are custodied at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., member SIPC. Wealthbridge Financial, Acrylic Financial, and Charles Schwab are separate and unaffiliated with one another except where noted. Insurance products and services are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed agents in all appropriate jurisdictions. The retirement and DIME calculators on this site are for illustration only and should not be relied on as a complete financial plan. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All projections use assumed rates of return that may not be achieved.

Warranties & Disclaimers

There are no warranties implied. Acrylic® Financial, Inc. (“RIA Firm”) is a registered investment adviser located in Fountain Hills, AZ. Acrylic® Financial, Inc. may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Acrylic® Financial, Inc.’s web site is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its advisory services, together with access to additional investment-related information, publications, and links. Accordingly, the publication of Acrylic® Financial, Inc.’s web site on the Internet should not be construed by any consumer and/or prospective client as Acrylic® Financial, Inc.’s solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, over the Internet. Any subsequent, direct communication by Acrylic® Financial, Inc. with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. For information pertaining to the registration status of Acrylic® Financial, Inc., please contact the state securities regulators for those states in which Acrylic® Financial, Inc. maintains a registration filing. Additional information about Acrylic Financial, Inc., including its Form ADV Part 2A Disclosure Brochure and Form CRS (Customer Relationship Summary), is available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. Copies may also be obtained directly from Acrylic Financial upon request. Acrylic® Financial, Inc. does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to Acrylic® Financial, Inc.’s web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility therefor. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

This website and information are provided for guidance and information purposes only. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy. This website and information are not intended to provide investment, tax, or legal advice.