Retirement Planning

Retirement Hub

Calculators and plain-language guides for every stage of retirement planning — from building your nest egg to managing RMDs and Social Security in retirement.

Retirement Calculators

Run your numbers before and after retirement. These tools cover savings projections, withdrawal planning, RMDs, and Social Security timing.

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Retirement Calculator
Project your 401k and IRA balance at retirement based on current savings, monthly contributions, and expected returns.
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Retirement Withdrawal Calculator
See how long your savings last at any withdrawal rate. Includes 4% rule estimate and year-by-year balance projection.
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RMD Calculator
Calculate your required minimum distribution from a traditional IRA or 401k using the 2024 IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.
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Social Security Calculator
Estimate your monthly benefit at 62, 67, and 70. Compare lifetime totals and find your breakeven age.
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401k Calculator
Model your 401k growth over time with employer match, contribution limits, and expected returns.
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Roth IRA Calculator
See how Roth IRA contributions grow tax-free and compare after-tax outcomes vs. a traditional IRA.
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Roth Conversion Calculator
Calculate the upfront tax cost of converting a traditional IRA to Roth and the breakeven point where conversion pays off.
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FIRE Number Calculator
Find your financial independence target (annual expenses × 25), years to reach it, and LeanFIRE / FatFIRE scenarios.
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Retirement Income Calculator
How much monthly income your portfolio can generate at different withdrawal rates — with Social Security offset.
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Pension vs. Lump Sum Calculator
Compare taking monthly pension payments vs. a lump sum payout — shows break-even age and which pays more over your lifetime.
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HSA Calculator
Project your HSA balance at retirement and how many years of healthcare costs it covers — with tax savings breakdown.
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Catch-Up Contribution Calculator
See how catch-up contributions after age 50 boost your 401k or IRA balance — and the extra monthly income it creates in retirement.
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Medicare Cost Calculator
Estimate your annual Medicare costs — Part B premiums, IRMAA surcharges by income, Medigap or Medicare Advantage, and Part D drug coverage.
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How Long Will Money Last
Enter your portfolio, monthly withdrawal, and return to see exactly how many years your savings last — with year-by-year balance and longevity gauge.
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Retirement Spending Calculator
Estimate retirement expenses by category — housing, healthcare, food, travel — and see the portfolio needed to fund your lifestyle.

Retirement Guides

Plain-language explanations of retirement planning concepts — with real numbers, not general advice.

Withdrawal Strategy
The 4% Rule: How Long Will Your Retirement Savings Last?
The math behind the most widely used retirement withdrawal guideline — and when you should use a lower rate.
Social Security
When to Claim Social Security: 62, 67, or 70?
A breakeven analysis of every claiming age — and the one rule married couples should almost never break.
Tax Planning
What Is a Required Minimum Distribution? RMDs Explained
When RMDs kick in, how they're calculated, and smart strategies to minimize the tax hit — including QCDs and Roth conversions.
Planning
How Much Money Do You Need to Retire?
The 25× rule, income replacement ratios, and why your Social Security benefit changes the savings target dramatically.
FIRE
The FIRE Movement: Financial Independence, Retire Early
What FIRE actually requires, which version fits your life, and the math that makes early retirement possible.
Benchmarks
Retirement Savings Benchmarks by Age
How much should you have saved at 30, 40, 50, and 60? Industry benchmarks and what they mean for your plan.
Tax Strategy
Roth Conversion: When It Makes Sense and How to Calculate the Tax Cost
The math, the best conversion windows, partial conversion strategies, and when keeping a traditional IRA wins.
FIRE
How to Calculate Your FIRE Number
The 25× formula, savings rate timeline math, LeanFIRE vs. FatFIRE, and how Social Security changes your target.
Decumulation
How Much Monthly Income Can Your Retirement Savings Generate?
Income by portfolio size and withdrawal rate, the Social Security offset, and sequence-of-returns risk strategies.
Healthcare
What Is an HSA? Health Savings Account Explained
Eligibility, 2026 limits, qualified expenses, investment options, and how the HSA triple tax advantage works.
Healthcare
Using Your HSA as a Retirement Account: The Triple Tax Strategy
How to invest HSA contributions, pay medical costs out-of-pocket, save receipts, and reimburse yourself tax-free in retirement.
Healthcare
HSA vs. FSA: Which Should You Choose?
Side-by-side comparison of contribution limits, rollover rules, investment options, and portability — and when each wins.
Medicare
What Is Medicare? Parts A, B, C, D and Medigap Explained
What each Medicare part covers, Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage, enrollment deadlines, and the critical gaps Medicare doesn't cover.
Medicare
How Much Does Medicare Cost? The Complete 2026 Guide
2026 Part B premiums, IRMAA surcharges by income tier, Medigap Plan G and N costs, and total annual estimates for individuals and couples.
Risk
Sequence of Returns Risk: The Hidden Threat to Retirement
Why early bad returns devastate retirement portfolios even if markets recover — and five strategies to protect against this risk.

About Retirement Planning on Utilia

Retirement planning spans two phases: accumulation (building savings) and decumulation (spending them down strategically). Most people focus almost entirely on the first phase and underestimate the complexity of the second. How much you withdraw, when you claim Social Security, how you manage RMDs, and how you allocate your portfolio in retirement can make a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars over a 20–30 year retirement.

The calculators and guides on this page are designed to give you the real numbers — not generic advice. Every formula is sourced from the IRS, SSA, or peer-reviewed financial research. Results are estimates for informational purposes. For decisions involving significant money, consult a fee-only financial advisor.