Global Retirement Calculator 2025 (Australia & Worldwide)

Plan your retirement from anywhere, model returns and inflation, and estimate the capital you’ll need with or without Age Pension support.

Performance

Performance Overview

Goal Status
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Run the calculator
Required Capital
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—
Projected at Retirement
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Age —
Buffer / Shortfall
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vs required capital

Capital vs Required Capital

Income Sources vs Target Income

Year-by-Year Breakdown

How this retirement model works

The calculator projects your balance from today to retirement using your expected annual return. Contributions can optionally rise with inflation each year. At retirement, we compare your target income (in today’s dollars) with a chosen withdrawal rate to estimate the required capital and whether your projected balance leaves a buffer.

Quick start

  1. Enter current balance, monthly contribution, and your expected annual return.
  2. Choose inflation and whether to index contributions to inflation.
  3. Set your target retirement income (today’s dollars) and withdrawal rate.
  4. Select a spending mode (never run out vs spend to $0 by age).
  5. Hit Calculate and review the chart, KPIs, and the requirement vs projection gap.

What you control

  • Target income: monthly spending in retirement, shown in today’s dollars.
  • Withdrawal rate: % of capital withdrawn per year in retirement. Required capital ≈ annual target income ÷ withdrawal rate.
  • Expected return & inflation: long-run nominal return (before inflation) and an inflation assumption. You can index contributions to inflation.
  • Contributions: monthly savings until retirement; optionally indexed for purchasing power.
  • Spending mode: Never run out (preserve capital in real terms) or Spend to $0 by age (draw down to zero at a chosen age).

Behind the math (step by step)

  1. Accumulation: grow balance each year by the expected return; add contributions (optionally indexed by inflation).
  2. Real vs nominal: targets are shown in today’s dollars; returns are entered before inflation.
  3. Required capital: required = (target_income_monthly × 12) / withdrawal_rate.
  4. Buffer / shortfall: at retirement, compare projected balance to required capital and compute the gap.
  5. Spend-to-$0 mode: compute a withdrawal path so balance reaches zero at the chosen age (assuming your return/inflation inputs).

Interpreting the outputs

  • Required capital: how much is needed to support the target income at your withdrawal rate.
  • Projected balance at retirement: what your accumulation is expected to reach by your retirement start.
  • Buffer (or shortfall): projected minus required. Positive = surplus; negative = gap to close.
  • Sensitivity: small changes to return, inflation, or withdrawal rate can materially change the result—test nearby values.

Worked example

A 50-year-old with $200,000 invested adds $1,000/month (inflation-indexed), expects 9% p.a. returns and 2.5% inflation, and targets $5,000/month (today’s dollars). With a 5.4% withdrawal rate, the required capital is roughly annual target income ÷ 5.4%. The calculator shows the projected balance and the buffer (or shortfall) versus that requirement.

Limitations & assumptions

  • Single long-run return (before inflation); real-world returns vary year to year.
  • Taxes and fees are not modeled—apply a margin of safety or adapt for local rules.
  • Inputs must use one consistent currency; outputs follow that currency.
  • Inflation is an assumption; actual purchasing power will vary with future CPI.

Glossary

  • Withdrawal rate: % of capital drawn annually in retirement.
  • Real (today’s dollars): values adjusted to remove inflation effects.
  • Indexing contributions: increasing contributions each year by inflation to maintain purchasing power.

Related tools

FAQs

What withdrawal rate should I use?

There’s no single right number. Higher rates increase the risk of running out; lower rates require more capital. The calculator suggests a rate based on your inputs—treat it as a starting point and test nearby values.

Should I adjust contributions for inflation?

If your income typically keeps pace with inflation, indexing contributions helps maintain their real value. Otherwise, leave it off and test a higher flat contribution instead.

Are returns before or after inflation?

The “Expected Annual Return” is before inflation. We show targets in today’s dollars to keep purchasing power clear.

Does this include taxes and fees?

No. This is a clean planning model. Real outcomes depend on taxes, investment fees, and local rules. Use a buffer or seek advice for specifics.

Can I use any currency?

Yes. Use one currency consistently for all inputs; the outputs will be in that currency.

Disclaimer: This calculator provides general estimates and does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. Outcomes depend on investment returns, inflation, tax and fees, which can change. Consider professional advice. See our full disclaimer.