Retirement Planning
When Enough
is Enough
Everyone tells you to max out your 401k. But at what point have you saved enough for retirement? This calculator finds that magic number.
Enter Your Current Retirement Savings
You (or younger spouse)
You + Spouse (rolled 401k)
You + Spouse
Inflation-Adjusted
Spending increases 3%/year during retirement
At 3% inflation → $36K/mo in 20 years
Requires: $230K IRA + $58K Roth = $288K/year
Quick pick:
THE ANSWER
When Should You Stop Contributing?
If You Stop Today
Run out at age 87
Balance at 60
$2.5M
Remaining at 90
$0
Minimum Needed
Contribute Until
Age 47
1 more year of contributions
Balance at 60
$2.6M
Remaining at 90
$354K
If You Continue to 60
$10.5M cushion
Balance at 60
$3.6M
Remaining at 90
$10.5M
1 Our Assumptions
60
Retirement Age
90
Life Expectancy
8%
Annual Growth
3%
Inflation Rate
$47K
Annual IRA/401k
$14K
Annual Roth IRA
80/20
IRA/Roth Withdrawal
~33%
Effective Tax (Fed+CA)
2 Your Current Balances
| Account | Balance |
|---|---|
| Traditional IRA (You + Spouse) | $800,000 |
| Roth IRA (You + Spouse) | $50,000 |
| Total Current Retirement Savings | $850,000 |
3 Growing Your Nest Egg to Age 60
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Current Balance | $850,000 |
| Growth on Current Balance (8% for 14 years) | +$1,648,000 |
| Future Contributions ($61K/yr × 14 years) | $658,000 |
| Growth on Contributions | +$466,000 |
| Projected Balance at Age 60 | $3,622,000 |
Your Nest Egg at 60
$3.6M
4 Your Retirement Lifestyle (Age 60-90)
Inflation Adjustment: You entered $20K/month in today's dollars.
With 3% annual inflation over 20 years, that becomes $36K/month at retirement.
Annual Withdrawal Breakdown (Married Filing Jointly)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual Withdrawal (Golden Number) | $400,000 |
| Federal Tax (Bracket: 32%, Effective: 20.8%) | -$83,373 |
| California Tax (Bracket: 9.3%, Effective: 7.6%) | -$30,506 |
| Annual After-Tax Spending (Effective Rate: 28.5%) | $286,121 |
Progressive Tax Note: Tax brackets show your marginal rate (rate on the last dollar).
Effective rate is what you actually pay overall due to progressive taxation.
Monthly (Future Dollars at 60)
$23,843
≈ $20K in today's dollars
30-Year Total Spending
$8.6M
5 Retirement: Spending + Growing (Age 60-90)
Each Year: Withdraw $400K, Then Grow Remainder at 8%
Remaining Balance at Age 90
$2.1M
You won't run out of money!
| 30 Years of Retirement | Amount |
|---|---|
| Starting Balance at 60 | $3,622,000 |
| Total Withdrawn (30 years × $400K) | -$12,000,000 |
| Total Growth During Retirement (8%/yr on remainder) | +$10,500,000 |
| Remaining at 90 | $2,122,000 |
How it works: Each year you withdraw $400K for living expenses,
then your remaining balance grows 8%. This is why you can withdraw more than your starting balance —
your money keeps working for you even in retirement.