Retirement Calculators & Guides

Plan Your Retirement, Year by Year

Free US retirement calculators and guides. 401(k), IRA, Roth, HSA, and Social Security. From your first $500 contribution to your $1.5M portfolio, we've got tools and guides for every stage.

Retirement Planning by Career Stage

Different ages, different priorities. Find your stage and jump to the relevant tools and guides.

Ages 22-30

Start Saving

Build emergency fund, open 401(k), start compound growth early

Ages 30-45

Max Out

Max 401(k) match, add HSA + backdoor Roth, optimize tax savings

Ages 45-60

Catch Up

Use catch-up contributions, mega backdoor Roth, tax-loss harvesting

Ages 60+

Draw Down

Roth conversions, Social Security timing, withdrawal sequence

Plan Your Contributions

Run the numbers before you contribute. 2026 contribution limits, tax savings, and growth projections.

2026 Contribution Limits at a Glance

401(k) employee deferral: $23,500 (under 50) · $31,000 (50+ catch-up) · $34,750 (60-63 super catch-up)
IRA (traditional or Roth): $7,500 (under 50) · $8,500 (50+)
HSA (single/family): $4,400 / $8,750 (under 55) · $5,300 / $9,650 (55+)
Total 401(k) (employee + employer + after-tax): up to $72,000 (under 50) · $79,500 (50+)
SEP-IRA (self-employed): up to 25% of net self-employment income, max $70,000

Retirement Stack Calculator

Walks through 401(k) + HSA + IRA + backdoor Roth contribution strategy. Shows federal tax savings in one view. 2026 contribution limits pre-loaded.

For: Mid-career workers maximizing tax-advantaged savings

Backdoor Roth IRA Calculator

Calculates the pro-rata rule impact on Roth conversions. Shows tax cost of converting traditional IRA to Roth IRA.

For: High-income earners above Roth income limits

Employer Cost Estimator

Full cost of payroll: employer FICA, FUTA, health, 401(k) match. Useful for HR showing true benefits cost beyond salary.

For: HR teams, CFOs, hiring managers

Optimize Your Strategy

Tax-efficient withdrawal sequencing, Roth conversions, and the "backdoor" strategies for high-income earners.

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Federal + state + FICA tax + 401(k) pre-tax contributions. Shows pre-tax retirement savings impact on take-home.

For: Workers evaluating 401(k) contribution amounts

Salary Time Machine

See how your salary has changed over time, adjusted for inflation. Based on BLS CPI data 1997–present.

For: Workers evaluating long-term career growth, retirement planning

Income Percentile Calculator

Find your income percentile in the US. Compares to national, state, and age-bracket data. Useful for retirement target setting.

For: Workers curious about their retirement savings rate vs. peers

Retirement Contribution 2026 Stack

2026 contribution limits for 401(k), IRA, HSA, backdoor Roth, mega backdoor Roth. Tax savings calculator included.

Backdoor Roth IRA Guide

Step-by-step guide to backdoor Roth conversions. Pro-rata rule explained, tax cost calculated, common pitfalls.

Mega Backdoor Roth Guide

After-tax 401(k) contributions + in-plan Roth conversions. Up to $66,000/year to Roth (2026 limit). Employer plan dependent.

Benefits Package Worth Calculator

Total compensation including 401(k) match, health insurance value, equity, PTO. Useful for job offer comparisons.

Track Your Progress

Long-term planning requires long-term tracking. See how your salary has changed, where you stand vs. peers, and how inflation has affected your real income.

Healthcare Premium Take-Home 2026

HSA vs. FSA vs. traditional health insurance. Pre-tax vs. post-tax impact on take-home pay. 2026 HSA limits.

Wage Growth vs. Inflation 2020–2026

Real wage trends over 6 years. BLS CES + CPI-U data, broken down by occupation. Critical for retirement planning.

Living Wage by State 2026

Cost-of-living-adjusted wage calculations. MIT living wage + EPI family budget calculator methodology.

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About These Tools

All retirement calculators on this page are based on official US government data:

IRS Publication 590 — Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)
IRS Publication 575 — Taxation of Pension and Annuity Income
Social Security Administration — Wage base, bend points, full retirement age
2026 contribution limits — IRS Notice 2025-XX (annually updated)

Calculators run entirely in your browser. No data is sent to our servers. See our full methodology for details.

Last updated: October 10, 2026. Updated as new retirement tools and guides are added.