Scenario controls

Set your own assumptions

Change any value and the projected balance recalculates as you type. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

years
years
USD
USD
%

Educational estimate only. See how the model works.

Projected balance at retirement

$0

  • Years to retirement0 years
  • Total you put in$0
  • Projected investment growth$0

Adjust a control to see a plain-language summary of the tradeoff.

Continue to the year-by-year ledger

Projection ledger

Every year of the plan, in one table

Set a current age, a retirement age, an annual contribution and one constant return assumption. The ledger rebuilds as you type, and each row keeps contributions and growth separate so you can see which one is doing the work.

Scenario inputs
Amounts in U.S. dollars, rounded to the dollar. Constant return, no taxes, no fees.
Age Year Cumulative contributions Growth that year Projected balance

This is an educational projection, not financial advice. Review the full assumptions, or compare the current path with a +1% and +2% contribution. Contribution inputs live in the scenario planner above.

Scenario Comparison

Your current path next to plus one and plus two percentage points

Small changes in contribution rates can compound over long time horizons. Set your two variables below and compare the same horizon at three contribution levels.

Your comparison updates as you change either value.

Measure Current path Plus 1 point Plus 2 points Change vs current
Monthly contribution $567 $638 $708 +$142
Projected balance at retirement $0 $0 $0 $0

Assumes an $85,000 annual income, contributions made monthly, a constant 5% annual return, and no taxes or fees. Educational estimates only, not financial advice. See the assumptions.

Assumptions

Every projection rests on three stated rules

The planner runs in your browser and applies the same three rules to every scenario, so two scenarios differ only by the inputs you change.

These rules are deliberately simple. Real accounts rarely grow in a straight line, and a 12% gain followed by a 9% loss is not the same as two flat years.

Constant annual returnApplied to all rows
The growth rate you enter is applied at the same value in every year of the projection. Markets vary year to year, so a steady rate is a simplification, not a forecast.
No taxesApplied to all rows
Contributions go in and growth compounds without federal, state, or payroll tax taken out. Your take-home pay and any tax on withdrawals are outside the calculation.
No feesApplied to all rows
Fund expense ratios, advisory charges, and account maintenance costs are set to zero. In a real account those costs reduce the ending balance each year.

Constant return, no taxes, no fees. That is the whole model. Read the full methodology See worked examples