Free Retirement Planner 2026 — Monte Carlo Simulation | FinanceStackHub

Q: What is a retirement readiness score?

A retirement readiness score (0–100) measures how prepared you are for retirement based on your current savings, savings rate, and whether your projected portfolio will cover your expenses. A score above 75 is considered on track.

Q: How much do I need to retire?

The 4% rule suggests you need 25× your annual expenses saved at retirement. For $60,000/year in expenses, that's $1.5 million. Fidelity recommends saving 10× your income by retirement age 67.

Q: When should I claim Social Security?

Claiming at 62 permanently reduces your benefit by up to 30%. Waiting until 70 increases it by 24% above your full retirement age (67) benefit. Delaying is often beneficial if you're healthy and have other income sources.

Q: What return rate should I assume for retirement projections?

Historical S&P 500 real returns (inflation-adjusted) average about 7%. Conservative projections use 5%; aggressive use 9%. This tool shows all three so you can plan for different outcomes.

Q: What is Monte Carlo simulation for retirement planning?

Monte Carlo simulation runs thousands of randomized market scenarios (using historical return distributions) to show the probability your money lasts through retirement. A result of 85%+ is generally considered a strong plan. Unlike a single projected return, Monte Carlo captures the real risk of bad market timing — especially in the years right before and after retirement.

Q: What is a good retirement savings rate?

Financial planners typically recommend saving 15% of gross income for retirement, including any employer match. Saving 10% is a solid floor; 20%+ puts you significantly ahead. The national average is around 5–6%, which is insufficient for most retirement goals. Even increasing your savings rate by 2–3% now compounds dramatically over a 20–30 year horizon.

Q: How much should I have saved by age 50?

Fidelity recommends having 6× your annual salary saved by age 50. Vanguard data shows the median 401(k) balance for people aged 45–54 is around $87,000 — well below the Fidelity target for most income levels. If you're behind at 50, catch-up contributions ($7,500 extra per year in a 401k after age 50) and delaying retirement by 2–3 years can close a large gap quickly.

Q: What is the 4% rule for retirement?

The 4% rule (from the Trinity Study) suggests retirees can withdraw 4% of their portfolio in year 1, then adjust for inflation each year, with a high historical probability of the money lasting 30 years. To use it: multiply your annual expenses by 25 to find your retirement savings target. For $60,000/year in expenses, you need $1.5 million. It's a useful starting rule, but Monte Carlo simulation gives a more robust success probability across varied market conditions.

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Monte Carlo Retirement Simulator

Run 1,000 market scenarios, see your probability of a funded retirement, Social Security claiming analysis, and an AI action plan — free in under 60 seconds.

🎲 1,000 Monte Carlo scenarios 📊 Real SSA & Fed Reserve data ⚡ Free, instant results Checking data…

1 You

2 Income

3 Savings

4 Review

Tell us about you

Your current age and target retirement age shape every projection.

CURRENT AGE

TARGET RETIREMENT AGE

RISK TOLERANCE

Income & savings rate

Used to benchmark your progress and project future contributions.

ANNUAL GROSS INCOME

ANNUAL SAVINGS RATE

401k + IRA + other retirement contributions as % of gross income

Current savings & expenses

Total retirement savings (401k, IRA, brokerage) and your current monthly spend.

TOTAL RETIREMENT SAVINGS

401(k) + IRA + brokerage accounts combined

CURRENT MONTHLY EXPENSES

Housing + food + transport + everything else

Review your inputs

Confirm everything looks right before we run the analysis.

Analyzing your retirement plan…

Loading SSA & benchmark data
Calculating readiness score
Running 1,000 Monte Carlo scenarios
Generating AI action plan

🎯 Your Retirement Readiness Score

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out of 100

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🎲 Monte Carlo Simulation 1,000 scenarios

📈 3 Projection Scenarios

🏛 Social Security + Income Gap

📊 How You Compare to Peers

⚡ Your AI Retirement Action Plan

Data Sources

✦ PREMIUM ANALYSIS

Deeper Analysis for Serious Planners

Unlock scenario modeling, risk analysis, and a downloadable action plan — built specifically for your numbers.

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Bear / Base / Bull Scenarios

Full projection breakdown across 3 market conditions

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Inflation-Adjusted Reality

What your nest egg actually buys in today's dollars

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Social Security Optimization

Optimal claiming age analysis (62 vs 67 vs 70)

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Not financial advice. This tool provides educational estimates based on national averages and publicly available data. Social Security estimates are approximations — visit ssa.gov/myaccount for your personalized amount. Projections use historical return assumptions and do not guarantee future results. Consult a licensed financial advisor before major decisions. Full disclaimer →