Retirement calculators and guides
Plan retirement accumulation, financial independence, Coast FIRE, and inflation-adjusted withdrawals with connected tools and plain-English guides.
Ready for your annual money review?
Run 8 calculators in about 30 minutes — covers paycheck, budget, debt, retirement, and more.
Calculators
Investment / Retirement Projection
Project long-term balance with contributions, returns, and inflation view.
Inputs
- Balance
- Contribution
- Return
401(k) Contribution & Match
Project 401(k) growth from employee contributions and employer match, and see whether you capture the full match.
Inputs
- Salary
- Contribution %
- Match
- Years
401(k) Early Withdrawal Penalty Calculator
Estimate the tax and 10% penalty on an early 401(k) withdrawal before age 59½ and your net proceeds.
Inputs
- Withdrawal amount
- Age
- Other income
- Filing status
Life Insurance Needs Calculator
Estimate how much life insurance coverage you need based on income replacement, debts, mortgage, and education goals.
Inputs
- Annual income
- Years to replace
- Debts
- Existing coverage
RMD Calculator
Estimate your required minimum distribution from tax-deferred retirement accounts using IRS life expectancy factors.
Inputs
- Account balance
- Age
Roth Conversion Calculator
Estimate tax on converting a traditional IRA to Roth, compare retirement outcomes, and see break-even timing.
Inputs
- IRA balance
- Income
- Filing status
- Tax bracket
IRMAA Calculator
Estimate 2026 Medicare Part B and Part D IRMAA from 2024 MAGI and filing status — monthly surcharges, household cost if both spouses enroll, and distance to the next cliff.
Inputs
- MAGI
- Filing status
- Both on Medicare
HSA Calculator
Project HSA balance growth, estimate triple tax advantage savings, and model medical spending through retirement.
Inputs
- Contribution
- Employer match
- Medical costs
- Return
Dollar Cost Averaging Calculator
Project portfolio growth from regular investments and compare lump sum vs. DCA scenarios.
Inputs
- Contribution
- Frequency
- Return
- Years
Compound Interest
Project how recurring deposits and compounding can change future value.
Inputs
- Principal
- Frequency
- Contribution
Investment Fee
Estimate how annual investment fees may reduce long-term portfolio growth.
Inputs
- Balance
- Contributions
- Return
- Fee
Inflation
Adjust dollar amounts for inflation using official U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Inputs
- Amount
- Start Year
- End Year
FIRE
Estimate a financial-independence target and a contribution-based timeline to reach it.
Inputs
- Spending
- Withdrawal rate
- Investments
- Return
Coast FIRE
Estimate the portfolio needed today to grow toward a retirement target without new contributions.
Inputs
- Age
- Retirement age
- Spending
- Return
Retirement Withdrawal
Project inflation-adjusted retirement withdrawals, portfolio longevity, and ending balance.
Inputs
- Portfolio
- Withdrawal
- Return
- Inflation
Roth vs. Traditional IRA
Compare Roth and traditional IRA after-tax values based on current and expected retirement tax rates.
Inputs
- Contribution
- Current tax rate
- Retirement tax rate
- Return
Social Security Estimator
Estimate monthly Social Security benefits at different claiming ages using your earnings history.
Inputs
- Annual earnings
- Years worked
- Current age
- Claiming age
Lump Sum vs. Pension
Compare taking a pension as a one-time lump sum vs. monthly lifetime payments. See break-even age and present value of the pension stream.
Inputs
- Lump sum offer
- Monthly pension
- Current age
- Life expectancy
- Investment return
Guides
Compound Growth Basics
Learn how compounding, contributions, and time work together to grow savings and investments.
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401(k) Employer Match Explained
Understand how 401(k) matching formulas work, vesting schedules, contribution limits, and how to capture your full employer match.
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401(k) vs. IRA: Where Should Your Money Go First?
Compare 401(k) and IRA contribution limits, tax treatment, investment options, and the right order to fund each account based on your situation.
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2026 Contribution Limits: Every IRS Account Limit in One Place
All 2026 IRS contribution limits — 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, HSA, FSA, SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, 529, and the Social Security wage base — on one reference page, updated each November.
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401(k) Contribution Limits for 2026
The 2026 401(k) contribution limit is $24,500 for employee deferrals, plus $8,000 catch-up for age 50 and over, and an $11,250 super catch-up for ages 60–63 under SECURE 2.0.
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Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026
The 2026 Roth IRA contribution limit is $7,500 ($8,600 with catch-up). See income phase-out ranges, deadlines, penalties, and how to stay within IRS limits.
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IRA Contribution Deadline: Rules, Last-Minute Tips, and What to Do If You Missed It
The IRA contribution deadline for the 2025 tax year is April 15, 2026. Learn how to make a prior-year IRA contribution, which accounts qualify, and what to do if you missed it.
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HSA Explained: Triple Tax Advantage and Open Enrollment
Understand Health Savings Accounts — HDHP eligibility, 2026 contribution limits, triple tax benefits, investing rules, and how HSAs fit retirement planning.
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HSA Contribution Limits for 2026
The 2026 HSA contribution limits are $4,400 for self-only coverage and $8,750 for family coverage, plus a $1,000 catch-up for age 55 and older. Learn deadlines, over-contribution rules, and how limits are set.
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How Investment Fees Affect Long-Term Returns
Understand expense ratios, advisory fees, platform costs, and the compound effect of fees over time.
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How Inflation Affects Your Savings
Learn how inflation erodes purchasing power, why nominal savings rates can mislead you, and how to protect long-term savings from rising prices.
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How Inflation Affects Your Retirement Plan
Understand how inflation erodes retirement purchasing power, how to account for it in projections, and which strategies help protect long-term savings.
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How Much Should You Have Saved for Retirement by Age?
Retirement savings benchmarks by age — how they're calculated, why they vary, and what to do if you're behind.
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ROI vs. Annualized Return: How to Actually Compare Investments
Learn the difference between ROI and annualized return (CAGR), when to use each metric, and how to accurately compare investments held over different time periods.
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How to Calculate Your FIRE Number
Understand financial independence targets, spending assumptions, withdrawal rates, and the limits of FIRE projections.
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Coast FIRE Explained
Learn what Coast FIRE means, how compound growth affects the threshold, and why it is not the same as retiring today.
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Retirement Withdrawal Rates and Portfolio Longevity
Understand withdrawal rates, inflation adjustments, sequence risk, and flexible retirement-spending strategies.
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Roth vs. Traditional IRA Explained
Compare Roth and traditional IRA tax treatment, contribution limits, RMD rules, and how to choose based on current and future tax rates.
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When Should You Do a Roth Conversion?
Learn when Roth IRA conversions make sense, how to estimate the tax cost, partial conversions, backdoor Roths, and pitfalls like IRMAA and pro-rata rules.
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Medicare IRMAA Explained: How Income Affects Your Part B and Part D Premiums
IRMAA can add hundreds of dollars a month to Medicare Part B and Part D premiums when 2024 MAGI exceeds CMS thresholds. Learn how the 2-year look-back works, read the 2026 tier tables, and when to appeal.
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How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
Learn income replacement, DIME method basics, term vs. permanent coverage, and how to size a policy for your dependents.
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401(k) Early Withdrawal Rules and Penalties
Learn when the 10% penalty applies, exceptions, tax impact, and alternatives to cashing out retirement savings early.
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Social Security Claiming Ages Explained
Compare Social Security benefits at ages 62, full retirement age, and 70 — including reductions, delayed credits, and break-even timing.
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Social Security COLA 2026: Benefit Increase Explained
The 2026 Social Security COLA is 2.8%, increasing the average monthly retirement benefit. See how the increase affects your check, Medicare Part B, and the taxable wage base.
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Lump Sum vs. Monthly Pension: How to Decide
The key factors in the lump sum vs. pension decision: break-even age, life expectancy, investment risk, survivor benefits, inflation, and when each option makes sense.
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