Retirement Number Calculator
See the portfolio value you need to retire, right at the top. Adjust the withdrawal rate below it to watch the number move, then dial in your desired monthly spending and your guaranteed income from Social Security or a pension to make it yours.
Withdrawal rate
The most commonly cited reference point for a 30-year retirement, with a strong historical success rate.A more cautious rate needs more saved because you're only drawing a small slice of it each year; a more aggressive rate needs less saved because you're drawing a bigger slice, with more risk over time.
Desired monthly spending in retirement
$6,000Guaranteed income (Social Security, pension, etc.)
$2,500Add up Social Security, pension, rental, or annuity income you'll receive each month, anything that isn't drawn from your investment portfolio.
This is a rough snapshot, not a full plan. It doesn't account for taxes, inflation over time, market sequencing, or how your accounts are taxed.
What is your "retirement number"?
Your retirement number is the portfolio balance that would let you sustainably cover your spending for the rest of your life. It is not your net worth, and it is not an arbitrary round figure like $1 million or $5 million. It is specific to your own spending, your own guaranteed income, and the withdrawal rate you are comfortable with.
This quick-check method is widely taught in retirement planning: figure out what your portfolio actually needs to cover, then work backward from a safe withdrawal rate to a target dollar amount. It is a useful first pass, not a substitute for a full plan.
How the calculation works
Start with your desired monthly spending in retirement, everything from housing to travel to healthcare. Subtract any guaranteed income you will already have coming in, Social Security, a pension, rental income, or an annuity. What is left is the gap your portfolio needs to fill each month.
Multiply that monthly gap by 12 to get an annual figure. Then divide by your chosen withdrawal rate. If your annual gap is $72,000 and you use a 5% withdrawal rate, your target portfolio is $72,000 ÷ 0.05, or $1.44 million. Use a more conservative 3.5% rate on the same gap and the number rises to roughly $2.06 million.
Choosing a safe withdrawal rate
There is no single correct withdrawal rate for everyone. A lower rate, such as 3% to 3.5%, produces a larger target number but leaves more room for market downturns and a longer retirement. A higher rate, such as 4.5% to 5%, produces a smaller target number but carries more risk of running out of money if returns disappoint early in retirement.
This is a personal risk-tolerance choice, shaped by how long your retirement is likely to last, how your portfolio is invested, and how much flexibility you have to cut spending if markets turn down. This calculator does not tell you which rate is right, it lets you see how the target number changes across the common range so you can decide for yourself.
What this calculator doesn't do
This is a single static snapshot, not a full plan. It does not account for taxes on withdrawals, which vary a lot depending on whether the money comes from a traditional account, a Roth account, or a taxable brokerage account. It does not account for inflation compounding over a multi-decade retirement. And it does not account for sequence-of-returns risk, the danger that a market downturn early in retirement, combined with ongoing withdrawals, can permanently damage a portfolio even if average returns over time look fine.
Those three things, tax-aware withdrawal order, inflation, and a cash reserve sized against market downturns, are exactly what a year-by-year plan needs to get right once you are close to your number.
Frequently asked questions
What is my "retirement number"?
Your retirement number is the portfolio value that would let you sustainably cover the gap between your desired spending and your guaranteed income (Social Security, pension, rental, or annuity income) for the rest of your life, using a safe withdrawal rate.
How do I calculate how much I need to retire?
Subtract your guaranteed income from your desired monthly spending to find your portfolio withdrawal gap. Multiply by 12 to annualize it, then divide by a safe withdrawal rate (commonly 3% to 5%) to get your target portfolio value.
What is a safe withdrawal rate?
The percentage of your portfolio you plan to withdraw each year, adjusted for inflation, with a low risk of running out of money over a multi-decade retirement. Reference points range from 3% (conservative) to 5% (aggressive), with 4% cited most often.
Does this calculator account for taxes?
No. This is a simple spending-and-withdrawal-rate snapshot. It does not account for taxes, account-type mix, or withdrawal order. A full plan needs to model those separately.
Is 4% still a safe withdrawal rate?
4% is a commonly cited starting point, but it is not universally "safe" for every retirement length or market environment. This tool shows a 3% to 5% range so you can see how the target changes, rather than treating one rate as right for everyone.