DIY Wealth Planning
Step 2 of 2 — What comes out

What will my retirement paycheck look like?

Build your monthly retirement paycheck from Social Security, other income, and your portfolio — then compare it with what you plan to spend. Takes about 90 seconds.

Enter your numbers

All fields are estimates — use round numbers if you are not sure.

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Total across 401(k), IRA, and other retirement accounts

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What you add each month across all retirement accounts

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Enter your own estimate — do not rely on a salary-replacement rule. Include housing, food, healthcare, travel, and everything else.

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Your own estimate from ssa.gov/myaccount. Leave blank to exclude Social Security entirely, or enter 0 for an explicit zero-benefit assumption — the tool never guesses for you.

62–70. Leave blank and benefits are assumed to start at your retirement age.

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Pension, rental, part-time work — anything dependable

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Your gross monthly income (before taxes) — used only for a separate income-replacement comparison, never in the paycheck math itself

%

Before inflation — an assumption you choose, not a prediction.

%

Applied to show all results in today's dollars.

The share of your projected balance withdrawn in the first year. 4% is the widely used benchmark — not a guarantee.

Fill in your numbers on the left and click Build My Retirement Paycheck to see your illustrative monthly paycheck.

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How the snapshot works

Three straightforward calculations, one clear picture.

01

Project your balance

We compound your current savings and monthly contributions at your expected return rate, adjusted for the inflation rate you choose, so every result is shown in today's dollars.

02

Apply your withdrawal rate

Your projected balance is converted to an illustrative monthly income using the initial withdrawal rate you select — 3% to 5%, with 4% as the widely used default benchmark, not a guarantee.

03

Build your paycheck

Your Social Security estimate (only from your chosen claiming age) and any other expected income are added to the portfolio withdrawal, then compared with your estimated monthly spending to show a surplus or shortfall.

What this tool does not account for

Honest limits — none of these risks have been modeled in your results.

  • Taxes — withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts are generally taxed as ordinary income; Roth withdrawals generally are not. This tool does not model taxes.
  • Healthcare costs — Medicare premiums, supplemental coverage, and out-of-pocket costs before and during retirement are not included.
  • Inflation uncertainty — results use the single inflation rate you selected; actual inflation varies over time.
  • Market variability — returns are assumed steady; real markets rise and fall.
  • Sequence-of-returns risk — poor returns early in retirement can deplete a portfolio faster than steady-average returns would; this is not modeled.
  • Longevity — the tool does not model how many years your savings must last.
  • Social Security rules — future changes to Social Security law or benefit formulas are not predicted.
  • Required minimum distributions — RMDs are not modeled and may differ from the withdrawal rate you selected.

Common questions

Plain-language answers about how this calculator works.

Step 1 of 2 — What goes in

Not happy with that number?

Go back and see exactly how much more you need to save each month to close the gap.

← See how much I need to save

Educational purposes only. This calculator provides hypothetical projections based on the inputs you provide. It does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. It does not model taxes, healthcare costs, market variability, sequence-of-returns risk, required minimum distributions, or future changes to Social Security rules, and no withdrawal rate is guaranteed to be sustainable. Social Security estimates are yours alone — visit ssa.gov/myaccount for your personalized benefit statement. Paid coaching services provided by Cube Wealth Dimensions.