Early Retirement Calculator
See the earliest age you can retire, how much you need at your target age and the extra yearly savings to close any gap, in today's dollars.
This early retirement calculator grows your savings year by year until the age you want to stop working, then draws your spending down until the age your plan must last to. It finds the earliest age at which the money lasts and how much more you would need to save each year to retire at your target. Everything is in today's dollars, so the figures compare directly with your current budget.
How to use this tool
- Enter your age, your target retirement age and the age the plan must last to.
- Enter what you have invested now and what you save each year.
- Enter your yearly spending in retirement, plus any Social Security or pension and the age it starts.
- Set an expected return and inflation, then read the earliest age and the year-by-year table.
Formula
Needed at retirement = Σ (Spending − Pension) ÷ (1 + real return)^k
k counts retirement years from 0 up to your plan age, and the pension is subtracted only from its start age. Real return = (1 + return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1. Savings are added at the end of each working year; spending is withdrawn at the start of each retirement year.
Example
At 35 with $200,000 invested and $30,000 saved a year, a 7% return and 3% inflation give a real return of 3.88%. By 50 the balance reaches about $949,700 in today's dollars. Spending $50,000 a year, falling to $32,000 once an $18,000 Social Security benefit starts at 67, needs about $899,100 at 50, so you are roughly $50,600 ahead. Retiring at 49 instead would leave a $30,100 shortfall, so 50 is the earliest age that works.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I need to retire early?
A common shortcut is 25 times your yearly spending (the 4% rule), but that rule was tested on 30-year retirements. Retiring at 45 can mean 45 years or more of withdrawals, so this calculator works out the amount for your own time span instead.
What return should I assume?
Use an assumption suited to your asset mix and investment fees. The calculator subtracts inflation for you. Compare several returns, including a lower-return scenario, to see how sensitive your retirement date is.
Does this include taxes and health insurance?
Only if you include them in your spending. Add the income tax you expect on withdrawals and, in the U.S., health insurance premiums until Medicare starts at 65.
Why does Social Security change the answer so much?
From its start age it pays part of your spending every year, so the portfolio has to fund less. Use your estimate from ssa.gov in today's dollars; stopping work early, with fewer years of earnings, can lower it.
Sources
This tool gives an estimate for general information only. It is not financial, tax, legal or medical advice — check with a qualified professional before you rely on the result.
Last updated: 2026-10-30