How much do I need to retire?
To spend $5,000 a month from 65 through age 95, with $2,000 monthly Social Security from 65, you would need about $771,007 saved at retirement under this model. That assumes a constant 5% return before 0.3% fees, 2.5% inflation, no tax and no legacy target, with spending and income rising with inflation. The answer is driven by the gap between your spending and the income you enter, and how long savings must cover it.
Savings needed calculator
You would need about $771,007 saved at 65 to spend $5,000 a month (rising with inflation) through age 95. Savings cover $3,000 a month in year 1; the rest comes from income. That is a first-year withdrawal rate of 4.67% (about 21.4 times the yearly amount taken from savings).
Constant-return arithmetic, not a forecast. The rate includes optional tax on savings withdrawals; the multiple uses the spending gap before tax. See the order-of-returns example.
Ending balance: $2; money-to-leave target in end-year dollars: $0.
Already know your savings? Use the retirement spending calculator.
If you plan to a different age
| Plan to age | Savings needed |
|---|---|
| 85 | $566,266 |
| 90 | $674,067 |
| 95 | $771,007 |
| 100 | $858,182 |
Balance by age
Year-end values below show the first three years, every fifth year and the final year. Download the CSV for every year.
| Age at year end | Growth | Planned spending | Income | Tax needed | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | $36,237 | $60,000 | $24,000 | $0 | $771,244 |
| 67 | $36,248 | $61,500 | $24,600 | $0 | $770,593 |
| 68 | $36,218 | $63,037 | $25,215 | $0 | $768,988 |
| 70 | $36,019 | $66,229 | $26,492 | $0 | $762,644 |
| 75 | $34,558 | $74,932 | $29,973 | $0 | $724,869 |
| 80 | $31,305 | $84,778 | $33,911 | $0 | $646,506 |
| 85 | $25,613 | $95,919 | $38,368 | $0 | $513,025 |
| 90 | $16,642 | $108,524 | $43,409 | $0 | $305,615 |
| 95 | $3,307 | $122,784 | $49,114 | $0 | $2 |
Savings needed at 65 by monthly spending and plan age
Choose a monthly budget row and compare the plan ages. Each cell is the starting savings needed, with the same Social Security income throughout. These are balances at retirement, not amounts you must have saved today if retirement is years away.
| Monthly spending | To 85 | To 90 | To 95 | To 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $188,756 | $224,689 | $257,003 | $286,061 |
| $4,000 | $377,511 | $449,378 | $514,005 | $572,122 |
| $5,000 | $566,266 | $674,067 | $771,007 | $858,182 |
| $6,000 | $755,022 | $898,755 | $1,028,009 | $1,144,243 |
| $8,000 | $1,132,532 | $1,348,133 | $1,542,014 | $1,716,364 |
To reproduce a cell, enter its monthly spending and plan age in the calculator, keeping every other input at the caption's settings.
Savings needed per $1,000 a month taken from savings
This table removes income to isolate the portfolio. Each amount funds $12,000 of first-year annual withdrawals, then inflation increases. The number in parentheses divides starting savings by that annual amount. It is constant-return arithmetic, not a backtest or a safe withdrawal rate; see sequence of returns risk.
| Years funded | 3% return | 4% return | 5% return | 6% return | 7% return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $229,418 (19.12×) | $207,678 (17.31×) | $188,756 (15.73×) | $172,228 (14.35×) | $157,741 (13.15×) |
| 25 | $285,388 (23.78×) | $252,472 (21.04×) | $224,689 (18.72×) | $201,119 (16.76×) | $181,022 (15.09×) |
| 30 | $340,815 (28.40×) | $294,734 (24.56×) | $257,003 (21.42×) | $225,894 (18.82×) | $200,067 (16.67×) |
| 35 | $395,705 (32.98×) | $334,607 (27.88×) | $286,061 (23.84×) | $247,138 (20.59×) | $215,648 (17.97×) |
| 40 | $450,063 (37.51×) | $372,225 (31.02×) | $312,192 (26.02×) | $265,356 (22.11×) | $228,394 (19.03×) |
Calculated 2026-11-12 with the model described in /methodology (section 1c).
How it works
The solver tries starting balances in the shared annual drawdown model. A balance passes only when every year is fully funded and the ending savings meet your legacy target. It grows an upper bound, runs 80 binary-search steps, and rounds the passing balance up to whole dollars. No extra safety reserve is included.
Social Security reduces the gap
Enter total desired spending, including the part income will pay. Savings cover spending minus income active that year, plus any optional withdrawal tax. Get your own benefit estimate from my Social Security. A delayed income leaves earlier bills for savings to pay; excess income is added to savings.
Inflation and the dollars you enter
Use purchasing power at the start of withdrawals. Year 1 uses those amounts; later spending and income rise with your inflation assumption. An income starting later is inflated even before it begins. There is no separate cost-of-living adjustment for income.
Retiring earlier or planning later
Holding other inputs fixed, starting earlier adds payments before the same plan age. Planning to a later age adds payments at the end. Compare the plan-age table before choosing a horizon. A plan from 65 to 95 contains 30 annual payments, ending at 95.
Compare common retirement rules of thumb
25 times annual spending and the 4% rule
The 4% rule, often expressed as 25 times annual spending, is a common rule of thumb from historical-return studies, not a guarantee. For $1,000 monthly withdrawals, 25 times $12,000 is $300,000. Our 30-year, 5% column instead calculates $257,003, or 21.42 times annual withdrawals, after 0.3% fees and with 2.5% inflation. The lower amount reflects constant returns, not a safe spending limit. Historical studies and Monte Carlo tools test many return paths; this page tests one constant path, so it cannot estimate a probability of success.
Compare first-year rates and inflation-adjusted spending with the 4% rule calculator.
Income replacement rules
A rule such as replacing 70–80% of pre-retirement income estimates a spending input. This calculator starts with spending instead, so you can enter your own budget rather than a percentage of salary. Include changes in commuting, travel and medical costs in that budget.
Savings-by-age multiples
Salary multiples at different ages are progress checkpoints for workers. This page does not compute them or project future contributions. Use the main retirement calculator to explore accumulation before retirement, then compare the projected retirement balance with the starting savings needed here.
What the calculator leaves out
- Annual time steps: the return is applied to the opening balance, then spending is withdrawn and income is added at year end.
- Year 1 uses your amounts as entered; spending and income both rise with the inflation rate from year 2 (income is treated as fully cost-of-living adjusted, including before it starts).
- Fees are subtracted from the return every year.
Healthcare costs and changing budgets
Include health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket care in desired spending. Healthcare is not modeled separately, and the budget rises only with general inflation. There is no separate long-term care event, emergency reserve or changing spending phase. Omitted costs can leave the plan underfunded.
Taxes and money left behind
The optional tax rate applies only to gross savings withdrawals; income is already after tax. The legacy target is inflated for the full duration and checked at the end. Neither feature models account-specific tax treatment or estate costs. Returns are constant every year, so this calculation cannot measure market risk or the probability that a real portfolio will last.
FAQ
How much do I need to retire if I want $5,000 a month?
About $771,007 saved at 65 under this example: spend $5,000 a month, receive $2,000 monthly Social Security from 65, and fund 30 years through age 95. It assumes a constant 5% return before 0.3% fees, 2.5% inflation, no tax and no legacy target. Spending and income rise with inflation. This is a calculated balance for those inputs, not a guarantee.
Is 25 times expenses enough to retire?
The answer depends on the horizon, return and other inputs. For 30 years of $1,000 monthly spending with no income, no tax or legacy target, a constant 5% return before 0.3% fees and 2.5% inflation, this model needs $257,003, or 21.42 times the annual withdrawal. A 25-times calculation gives $300,000. Neither comparison tests changing market returns.
How much do I need to retire at 65 with Social Security?
Enter your total monthly budget and your own Social Security estimate with its start age. The calculator solves for the savings needed to pay the remaining gap each year through your plan age. Income starting after 65 leaves earlier years for savings to fund. It does not estimate benefits or adjust them for claiming age.
Does this include inflation?
Yes. Year 1 uses your entered amounts. Spending and both income streams increase with inflation from year 2, including inflation before a delayed income starts. Today’s dollars mean purchasing power at the start of withdrawals here; the tool does not inflate your budget between the current date and a future retirement date.
How does a legacy or inheritance goal change the number?
The optional target is money left at the plan age in the purchasing power of your first withdrawal year. The solver inflates that target for the full plan duration, then finds the smallest starting savings that funds every year and meets the ending target. A higher target can increase required savings; income surpluses may already fund some or all of it.
Does it include taxes?
Tax is off by default. The optional flat rate grosses up the savings-funded spending gap to include tax on the withdrawal. Enter income after tax. The tool does not calculate tax brackets, Social Security taxation, required distributions or differences between account types.
Related tools
Reverse the question with the retirement spending calculator if you know your savings. Use how long will my retirement savings last to solve for duration, or check the annual formulas in the methodology.