Topic Hub
Retirement Planning
Explore retirement savings targets, account choices, and long-term growth tools for planning the years ahead.
Use this hub to connect a retirement target with the contribution pace, account choices, and time horizon needed to make the plan credible.
Start Here
Best first picks for this topic
Primary calculator
Retirement Savings Calculator
Estimate how much you could have saved by retirement based on your age, current retirement savings, monthly contributions, and expected annual return.
Primary article
How Much Do You Need to Retire? The Real Numbers
How much do you need to retire? Use the 25x rule and 4% withdrawal rate to find your personal retirement target — with real numbers, age benchmarks, and a step-by-step calculation framework.
What You'll Learn
Key questions this hub helps answer
- How much do you actually need for retirement?
- Which account fits better: 401(k) or IRA?
- How much does starting earlier change the outcome?
- How should return assumptions be used without making the retirement plan too optimistic?
How This Hub Works
Use the tools and guides together
Start with the retirement calculator to connect your target balance to a monthly contribution pace and a realistic timeline. Then use the supporting content to decide which account structure fits the plan, see how starting age changes the outcome, and use return assumptions carefully so the projection stays useful in a retirement context.
Supporting Calculators
Investment Calculator
Estimate how an investment could grow from a starting amount, recurring monthly investing, and an assumed long-term return.
Compound Interest Calculator
Estimate how savings or investments may grow over time from a starting balance, monthly contributions, and compound growth.
Supporting Articles
Article
401(k) vs. IRA: Which Retirement Account Is Right for You?
401(k) or IRA — how should you compare them? Learn how each works, review 2026 contribution limits and tax treatment, and consider how employer matching, fees, eligibility, and flexibility may affect the choice.
Article
The Power of Starting Retirement Savings in Your 20s vs. 40s
Starting retirement savings in your 20s vs. 40s produces a difference in the monthly contribution needed for the same retirement target. Compare illustrative results using consistent calculator assumptions.
Article
What Return Rate Should You Assume for Retirement Planning?
The return rate you enter into a retirement calculator can change your projected balance substantially. Compare illustrative return scenarios and see how fees, inflation, and volatility affect a long-term projection.
Article
How Inflation Affects Retirement Savings: Nominal vs. Real Returns Explained
See how inflation erodes retirement savings in real terms — with a 7% return / 3% inflation worked example and an inflation-adjusted retirement target stated in both today's dollars and future dollars.
Related Topics
Topic Hub
Investing Basics
Build a stronger investing foundation with return benchmarks, growth calculators, and practical investing explainers.
Topic Hub
Compound Interest and Growth
Explore how compounding changes long-term growth and how time, rate, and recurring contributions work together in real projections.