When Can I Retire? Early Retirement Age Calculator
Find the earliest age your savings can support the lifestyle you want, using a safe withdrawal rate and inflation.
How the retirement age is found
Your target portfolio is your yearly spending divided by the withdrawal rate. At 4%, spending of $40,000 needs $1,000,000. Because prices rise, the target grows with inflation every year you wait. The calculator grows your savings each year with your return and your new contributions, and stops the first year the portfolio reaches the target.
What changes the answer most
Your savings rate matters more than almost anything else, because it both adds money and sets how little you need to spend. Cutting spending lowers the target and raises savings at the same time.
Limits
It uses one steady return, so real markets will differ. For a risk check, run the Monte Carlo Retirement Simulator. Taxes, pensions and healthcare costs are not modelled.
Worked example
Last reviewed November 2026. Formulas are standard and shown in the sections above; results are estimates.
Tips and common mistakes
- Lower spending shortens the road twice: smaller target and more saved.
- Use 3.5% instead of 4% if you retire before 50.
- Run the Monte Carlo simulator once you have a target age.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
What is a safe withdrawal rate?
The share of the portfolio you take each year. 4% is a common guide; use less for very long retirements.
Does spending rise with inflation?
Yes. The target grows with inflation.
Do my savings rise each year?
Yes, by the inflation rate, to keep pace with prices.
Does it include Social Security or pensions?
No. Lower your spending by the income they will provide.
Is the result guaranteed?
No. It is an estimate based on steady returns.
Money guides for this topic
All guides →When to Claim Social Security: 62, 67 or 70?
How claiming age changes your monthly check, what the break-even age means, and how to compare options with your own numbers.
Read guide →Will My Retirement Money Last? Understanding the Odds
Why a fixed 4% rule is only a starting point, what sequence-of-returns risk is, and how simulations show the chance of success.
Read guide →Investing for Beginners: A Simple Plan with the Numbers
A plain-English starter plan for investing: low-cost index funds, regular contributions and why fees matter.
Read guide →Related calculators
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Open calculator →Results are estimates and not financial advice.