Free 401(k) Calculator

Start early. That's the whole game with retirement savings. This calculator estimates your 401(k) balance at retirement based on contributions, employer match, expected returns, and years left to save. The earlier you begin, the less you need to put in each year.

The math is future value of a series. Each year's contribution grows at your assumed annual return for every remaining year until retirement. Year 1 grows for the full period. Year 10 grows for 10 fewer years. Add it all up — that's your projected balance. The concept is straightforward. The results can be surprising. Someone who starts at 25 and contributes $500/month with a 7% return ends up with roughly $1.2 million by 65. Start at 35 with the same contributions? About $567,000. Ten years of delay costs you over $600K. That's compound growth for you — brutal if you're late, powerful if you're early.

The employer match is free money. Typical structure: 50% match up to 6% of salary. Make $100K, contribute 6% ($6,000), employer adds $3,000. If you're not contributing enough to get the full match, you're throwing away thousands every year.

For 2026, the 401(k) contribution limit is $24,500. Catch-up contribution for ages 50+ is another $8,000. Ages 60-63 get an even bigger catch-up of $11,250. The calculator defaults to 7% annual return, which is a reasonable long-term assumption for a diversified stock portfolio. Real returns bounce around — up 20% some years, down 15% others — but 7% is a solid planning number over decades.

RMD age is 73. That's when the IRS makes you start withdrawing. But that's a problem for future you.