The short answer
A 35-year-old with $100,000 saved, contributing $500/month plus a 50% employer match (capped at $3,000/year) at a 7% return, would have about $1,731,965 at 65. But if they want $60,000/year in today's dollars (inflated to about $145,636/year by then) and only get $2,000/month from Social Security, that balance runs out around age 83 — 18 years into a 25-year retirement — for a 64% readiness score. Raising the contribution to $1,200/month closes the gap entirely.
Key takeaways
- This calculator simulates actual withdrawals in retirement, inflation-adjusted year by year — it does not just check whether your ending balance looks large, it checks whether it survives the whole retirement.
- At the default inputs, a projected $1,731,965 balance sounds substantial, but against a $60,000/year (today's dollars) spending goal it only lasts 18 of 25 retirement years — a 64% readiness score and "at risk" status.
- Employer match matters early and often has a cap: a 50% match up to $3,000/year adds $250/month on top of a $500 contribution, nearly 1.5× the personal contribution alone.
- Raising the monthly contribution from $500 to $1,200 (holding everything else fixed) took this scenario from funds lasting 18 years to funds lasting the full 25 — the single biggest lever available years before retirement.
Why a seven-figure balance can still fall short
Desired income, inflated to retirement: $60,000 × (1.03)^30 ≈ $145,636/year
4% rule on $1,731,965 balance: $69,279/year ($5,773/month)
Gap after Social Security ($24,000/yr): withdrawals needed ≈ $121,636/year
The core issue is inflation compounding over 30 working years: a $60,000/year lifestyle goal today becomes roughly $145,636/year by the time this saver turns 65, simply to maintain the same purchasing power. A standard 4% withdrawal on the projected $1,731,965 balance only generates about $69,279/year — even stacked with $24,000/year in Social Security, that leaves a real shortfall against the inflated spending goal. The calculator's withdrawal simulation, which adjusts each year's withdrawal for inflation and applies ongoing investment returns to what remains, shows the balance running out at age 83 rather than lasting to the 90-year life expectancy entered.
What closes the gap
| Change | Balance at 65 | Years Funds Last |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline: $500/month | $1,731,965 | 18 of 25 |
| Raise to $900/month | $2,222,800 | 24 of 25 |
| Raise to $1,200/month | $2,590,927 | 25 of 25 (fully funded) |
Because contributions compound for 30 years before retirement, even a moderate increase makes a large difference — going from $500 to $1,200 a month more than doubles the projected balance and turns an "at risk" outcome into a fully funded one. Delaying retirement by a few years is another lever worth testing in the calculator: it shortens the withdrawal period while giving contributions more time to grow, though it trades away years of retirement leisure. Try adjusting contribution amount, retirement age, and desired income independently to see which lever moves your own readiness score the most.
Related calculators
- 401(k) Calculator — model employer-match and contribution details in more depth.
- IRA Calculator — compare tax-advantaged growth in an IRA alongside a workplace plan.
- Social Security Calculator — estimate the benefit you plugged in here more precisely.