Question 1

How much money do I need to retire?

Accepted Answer

A common starting point is 70–80% of your pre-retirement income each year. This calculator turns your desired monthly retirement budget into a nest-egg target, subtracts other income such as Social Security or a pension, and adjusts for inflation between now and your retirement date.

Question 2

What return should I assume?

Accepted Answer

A diversified stock-and-bond portfolio has historically returned around 6–7% per year before inflation. Many people assume a lower return after retiring, since portfolios usually shift toward bonds and cash. You can change both rates above.

Question 3

Does this include Social Security?

Accepted Answer

Only if you enter it. Put your expected monthly Social Security, pension, rental, or part-time income into the 'Other monthly income in retirement' field and the target drops accordingly.

Question 4

How is inflation handled?

Accepted Answer

Your desired monthly budget is stated in today's dollars and grown by your inflation assumption until your retirement date, so the target reflects what that lifestyle will actually cost then.

Question 5

What is the 4% rule?

Accepted Answer

It's a rough guideline that withdrawing about 4% of your nest egg in the first year of retirement, adjusted for inflation afterward, has historically lasted around 30 years. This calculator models your withdrawals year by year instead, which handles longer or shorter retirements better.

Question 6

Can SpeakCents help me save more?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SpeakCents tracks your real spending, builds budgets automatically, and lets you log expenses just by talking — so the contribution number you enter here is one you can actually hit.

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