How to use Retirement Calculator online, free

A 401(k) is the main retirement vehicle for most American workers, and small decisions made early compound into large differences by retirement. This calculator projects your balance from where you are now, taking account of your contribution rate, your employer's match, expected salary growth and investment returns. It also applies the 2026 IRS contribution limits, including the SECURE 2.0 catch-up rules, so the projection never quietly assumes you can contribute more than the law allows.

These numbers are the kind you check twice before sending a quote, a tax form or a loan application. The tool does the arithmetic; you still own the inputs.

Retirement Calculator is a good fit when deciding what contribution rate to set when you start a new job.

Why this exists

Retirement Calculator is built around a few practical wins, not a long feature list:

• Applies the real 2026 IRS limits, including the age 60 to 63 catch-up that replaces rather than adds to the age 50 one.
• Shows the employer match as its own figure, which is the clearest way to see what you would give up by contributing less.
• Models rising contributions as your salary grows, rather than assuming a flat salary for decades.
• Separates contributions from growth, so you can see how much of the final balance is compounding rather than deposits.

Walkthrough

1. Enter your age and target retirement age. The gap between them is your investment horizon, which is the single biggest driver of the result.
2. Add your current balance and salary. Use your total 401(k) balance today and your current gross annual salary.
3. Set your contribution rate. Enter what you defer as a percentage of salary. The calculator warns you if that exceeds the IRS limit for your age.
4. Add your employer match. Enter the percentage of salary your employer contributes. If your plan matches 50% of the first 6%, that is 3%.
5. Set your assumptions. Choose an expected annual return and salary growth rate. These are assumptions, not guarantees - try a few to see the range.
6. Read the projection. The breakdown separates your money, your employer's money and investment growth.

Jobs it is built for

• Deciding what contribution rate to set when you start a new job.
• Checking whether you are on track for a target retirement balance.
• Seeing the long-run cost of not contributing enough to earn the full employer match.
• Comparing retiring at 62 against 65 or 67.
• Understanding how much of a projected balance comes from growth rather than what you put in.

Worth knowing before you start

• Contribute at least enough to earn the full employer match. It is an immediate return on your money that nothing else in the plan matches.
• Raise your contribution by one point whenever you get a raise. The take-home impact is small and the long-run effect is large.
• Try a lower return assumption as a stress test. A projection at 5% tells you more about the downside than one at 10%.
• These are pre-tax dollars in a traditional 401(k). You will owe income tax on withdrawal, so the spending power of the final figure is lower than it appears.

What not to expect

• Contributing less than the employer match threshold, which leaves guaranteed money unclaimed.
• Assuming a high return every year for decades. Real markets are volatile, and a long run of average years is not the same as an average run.
• Forgetting inflation. A projection in today's dollars overstates what the balance will actually buy in thirty years.
• Cashing out a 401(k) when changing jobs. It triggers tax, usually a 10% early withdrawal penalty, and permanently ends the compounding.

Privacy, in one paragraph

Retirement Calculator runs in your browser. The file or text you paste stays on your device. There is no account, and nothing is stored on a ToolBox server for this job.

Related tools worth opening next

If this is one step in a longer job, these usually come after it:

• Investment Calculator - Project future value of investments with regular contributions
• Compound Interest - Calculate compound interest with flexible compounding frequency

Short answers

What is the 401(k) contribution limit for 2026?

The elective deferral limit is $24,500. If you are 50 or older you can add a catch-up of $8,000. Under SECURE 2.0, participants who turn 60, 61, 62 or 63 during the year get a larger catch-up of $11,250 instead, allowing a total of $35,750.

Does the age 60 to 63 catch-up stack on top of the age 50 one?

No, it replaces it. At those ages your limit is $24,500 plus $11,250, not plus both catch-ups. At 64 you revert to the standard $8,000 catch-up.

How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?

A widely cited target is 15% of gross salary including the employer match. The essential minimum is whatever earns your full match, because anything below that leaves money on the table. Beyond that it depends on your other savings, debts and retirement timeline.

What is an employer match?

Money your employer adds to your account based on what you contribute. A common formula is 50% of the first 6% you defer, which is worth 3% of salary. Some plans require you to stay a certain number of years before that money fully vests.

What return should I assume?

There is no correct answer. Long-run US stock market averages have historically been high, but past performance does not guarantee future results and your own allocation matters. Many people model a range - try 5%, 7% and 9% and treat the spread as the realistic uncertainty.

Does this account for inflation?

No. The projection is in nominal dollars, so a large future figure will buy less than the same amount today. As a rough adjustment, subtract your inflation assumption from your return assumption to see the result in today's purchasing power.

What is the difference between a traditional and a Roth 401(k)?

Traditional contributions are pre-tax, lowering your taxable income now, and withdrawals in retirement are taxed. Roth contributions are made after tax, with qualified withdrawals tax-free. This calculator models the traditional style, where contributions reduce current taxable income.

What happens to my 401(k) if I change jobs?

You can generally leave it with the old plan, roll it into your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. A direct rollover avoids tax and penalties. Cashing out is usually the costliest option because of tax plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty before age 59 and a half.

Open the Retirement Calculator when you are ready. It is free, and you do not need an account.