Retirement gap calculator
Compare the retirement savings you may build with the estimated portfolio needed to cover spending after Social Security and pensions. The gap is a planning signal, not a pass or fail verdict.
Your planning inputs
Your estimated gap
Ways to test the result
- Change one assumption and calculate again.
Illustration only. Returns are constant in this model; real markets, taxes, fees, and spending vary.
How the calculator works
Current savings compound annually until retirement. Monthly contributions are modeled as monthly deposits using the same annual return converted to a monthly rate. Desired spending and existing income are increased by inflation to the retirement year. The remaining annual need is divided by the chosen starting withdrawal rate.
What it does not model
- Variable market returns or sequence risk
- Taxes, fees, and account-specific withdrawal rules
- Changes to Social Security or pension benefits
- One-time expenses and uneven retirement spending
Use the result as a conversation
First verify the spending target. Then test contribution increases, a later retirement age, and a lower flexible-spending target one at a time. For a deeper plan, read how to build a retirement income target and how early market losses change withdrawals.
Retirement gap calculator FAQ
What does a retirement funding gap mean?
It is the difference between projected retirement savings and the estimated portfolio required to fund the spending goal after Social Security, pensions, or other lifetime income.
Does the calculator include taxes and fees?
No. The result does not model taxes, investment fees, variable market returns, or account-specific withdrawal rules. Reduce the return assumption or increase spending to test a more conservative case.
Are calculator inputs stored?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and does not send the financial values you enter to the server.