Free retirement projection tool
401(k) Calculator by Paycheck
Start with what you already have. Then change your retirement age, paycheck contribution, employer match, fees, inflation, and estimated market growth to see how the projection changes.
No signupNo bank connectionMultiple growth scenarios
Middle projected balance
$0
$0 in today’s dollars after modeled inflation
Years contributing0 years
Your contribution per check$0.00
Employer contribution per check$0.00
Selected retirement age67
One plan, three possible growth paths
Change the assumptions to update the projection.
Where the middle balance comes from
Money already saved
$0
Your contributions
$0
Employer contributions
$0
Estimated investment growth
$0
What changing retirement age does
Each card reruns the same contribution, match, fee, inflation, and return assumptions through a different stopping age.
Contribution comparisons
See how one percentage point and the modeled employer-match threshold change the result.
| Plan | Your total | Employer total | Projected balance | Difference |
|---|
Illustrative monthly withdrawals
These are simple percentages of the inflation-adjusted projection. They are not guaranteed income or a recommended withdrawal strategy.
This calculation does not estimate taxes, Social Security, pensions, required minimum distributions, health-care costs, or whether a withdrawal rate will last for life.
Year-by-year projection
The table shows the first year, five-year checkpoints, and the selected retirement year. Contributions are modeled at the end of each paycheck.
| Age | Salary | Your contribution | Employer | Growth | Ending balance |
|---|
How this projection is calculated
Contributions are added at the end of each paycheck. Employer match applies only to that paycheck’s employee contribution and the match limit entered. The model begins with the official 2026 IRS limits, including the $24,500 employee limit, age-based catch-up tiers, the $72,000 annual-additions limit, the compensation-based limit, and the $360,000 compensation limit used for employer contributions. Future limit growth is only an estimate.
It does not model taxes, Social Security, pensions, vesting, year-end match true-ups, required minimum distributions, or health-care costs. Beginning in 2026, some higher-paid participants must make catch-up contributions as Roth contributions. Compare the assumptions with your employer’s plan before changing a contribution.
Educational estimate only. Investment returns are not guaranteed. Snowball Your Debt does not provide investment, tax, legal, or individualized financial advice.