Example result based on the prefilled values.
Tax-Free Balance
$1,035,394.22
Your Contributions
$245,000.00
Tax-Free Growth
$790,394.22
Traditional IRA Equivalent
$1,327,428.49
4% Rule Monthly
$3,451.31
Continue your plan
Useful next calculations
When to use this calculator
- Before choosing between saving, investing, or increasing your monthly contribution.
- When you want to compare best-case, base-case, and cautious return assumptions.
- When you need a quick projection before making a longer-term portfolio decision.
- When you are deciding how many more years of contributions are needed to reach a specific target balance.
- When you want to see whether starting earlier versus contributing more each month produces a bigger outcome.
A realistic US planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Your Current Age
35
Retirement Age
35
Current Roth IRA Balance ($)
$1,400
Annual Contribution ($)
$250 per month
After entering these figures, review tax-free balance, your contributions and tax-free growth together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.
How to read your results
Tax-Free Balance
Review this figure alongside gross income and the local tax rules that apply to you. It is a planning estimate, not a filing result or a recommendation to make a tax decision.
Your Contributions
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Tax-Free Growth
Review this figure alongside gross income and the local tax rules that apply to you. It is a planning estimate, not a filing result or a recommendation to make a tax decision.
Traditional IRA Equivalent
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
4% Rule Monthly
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This calculator projects your Roth IRA balance at retirement using compound annual growth, capped at the 2024 IRS contribution limits of $7,000 ($8,000 for ages 50 and over). Each year, your contribution is added to the running balance and the full sum grows at your chosen rate. The Traditional IRA equivalent divides your Roth balance by one minus your marginal tax rate, showing the pre-tax account value that delivers the same after-tax spending power — quantifying Roth’s tax-free advantage in concrete dollar terms.
Results are illustrative and assume a constant annual return with contributions made at the start of each year. They do not account for income phase-outs, backdoor conversions, Roth 401(k) rollovers, or required minimum distributions, which do not apply to Roth IRAs under current law. Contribution limits and tax rates are subject to change by Congress. Verify current IRS limits at irs.gov and consult a financial advisor before making contribution or conversion decisions.
Common mistakes
- !Using an assumption that is not supported by a current local quote, bill, statement or official source.
- !Treating a generic estimate as a lender, provider, payroll or tax authority decision.
- !Mixing monthly and annual inputs without converting them consistently.
- !Forgetting location-specific taxes, fees, eligibility rules or payroll deductions where they apply.
- !Testing only one scenario instead of checking how a cautious assumption changes the result.
What to do next
- Run a second scenario with a cautious assumption so you can see the downside clearly.
- Compare the result with the related calculators below before making a decision.
- Check current local rules, eligibility and provider terms before applying or committing money.
- Keep a record of the assumptions so you can update the estimate when a quote, bill or pay figure changes.
- Use the result to prepare better questions for a lender, provider, adviser or employer rather than treating it as a final answer.
Frequently asked
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