About RetirePlanCalc
RetirePlanCalc.com is a free, privacy-first retirement planning calculator built for Americans who want to estimate their retirement readiness without handing over personal financial data to third parties.
Our Privacy Commitment
Every calculation on this site runs 100% in your browser. We do not collect, store, transmit, or sell any personal financial information. Your data stays in your device's local storage — period. There are no accounts, no signups, and no server-side data processing.
Methodology
Full Retirement Nest Egg Planner
The nest egg projection uses compound interest modeling with user-specified return rates and inflation assumptions. The required retirement savings target is derived from the 4% safe withdrawal rule (25× annual expenses), adjusted for inflation and Social Security income. Year-by-year balance growth follows:
Balancet+1 = Balancet × (1 + r) + MonthlyContrib × 12 × (1 + r/2) + AnnualLumpSum
where r = expected annual investment return rate. The mid-year convention approximates monthly contributions made throughout the year.
401(k) vs Roth IRA vs Traditional IRA Comparison
Account limits are sourced from IRS Publication 590-A (Contributions to IRAs) and IRS Notice 2025-XX for annual 401(k) limits. Long-term growth uses a 30-year horizon with moderate return (6%). After-tax values apply an assumed retirement tax bracket to pre-tax account balances, while Roth balances are shown tax-free.
- 2026 401(k) employee deferral: $23,500 (IRS §402(g))
- 2026 catch-up (age 50+): $7,500
- 2026 IRA contribution: $7,000; catch-up: $1,000
- Solo 401(k) total addition limit: $70,000
FIRE Early Retirement Calculator
Based on the Trinity Study (Cooley, Hubbard & Walz, 1998) and the 4% safe withdrawal rate. The FIRE number is calculated as:
FIRE Target = Annual Expenses ÷ 4% = Annual Expenses × 25
Three FIRE tiers are displayed: Lean ($40K/yr), Standard ($70K/yr), and Fat ($120K/yr). The years-to-FIRE calculation iterates year-by-year savings growth until the balance meets or exceeds the target.
Social Security Benefit Estimator
Benefits are calculated using the SSA's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) formula with 2026 bend points:
- 90% of AIME up to $1,174
- 32% of AIME from $1,174 to $7,078
- 15% of AIME above $7,078
Claiming age adjustments follow SSA rules: 62 = ~70% of PIA, 67 (FRA) = 100%, 70 = 124%. Lifetime totals assume survival to age 85 for break-even comparison purposes.
Roth Conversion Tax Calculator
Federal tax is computed using 2026 IRS tax brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-XX). State tax is a flat rate entered by the user. The multi-year spread analysis divides the conversion evenly across N years and sums total federal + state tax, comparing against a lump-sum conversion.
Data Sources
- IRS Publication 590-A — Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements
- IRS Publication 590-B — Distributions from Individual Retirement Arrangements (RMD tables) IRS Notice 2025-XX — Annual 401(k) contribution limits
- SSA Program Operations Manual System (POMS) — Benefit calculation formulas
- SSA Annual Statistical Supplement — Bend points and COLA adjustments
- Federal Reserve — Long-run inflation targets and economic projections
- SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 — RMD age changes and catch-up provisions
Compliance & Disclaimer
All calculation rules are based on publicly available official publications from the IRS, SSA, and Federal Reserve. RetirePlanCalc.com is maintained by our development team and does not claim CPA, fiduciary, or registered investment advisor credentials. This site does not provide personalized financial advice, tax preparation, or investment management services.
For official guidance, consult a licensed CPA, fiduciary financial advisor, or tax attorney. Social Security benefit amounts should be verified through your official my Social Security account.
Contact
Questions or concerns? Email us at 18999737@qq.com.