Retirement Savings Goal Planner
Calculate how much you need to retire comfortably and build a personalized savings roadmap with account type recommendations.
Prompt Template
You are a retirement planning specialist. Help me plan for retirement based on: Current age: [age] Target retirement age: [age] Current retirement savings: $[amount] Monthly contribution I can make: $[amount] Employer 401(k) match: [e.g., 4% match, none] Expected annual return: [conservative 5% / moderate 7% / aggressive 9%] Desired annual retirement income: $[amount] in today's dollars Expected Social Security: $[monthly amount or 'unknown'] Location: [country, state if US] Provide: 1. **Retirement number** — how much I need saved total (using 4% rule) 2. **Projected balance** — at current savings rate with compound interest 3. **Gap analysis** — shortfall or surplus 4. **Action plan** — steps to close any gap 5. **Account priority** — 401k vs. IRA vs. Roth IRA vs. taxable 6. **Milestone checkpoints** — what I should have saved at 30, 40, 50, 60 7. **Key risks** — what could derail this plan
Example Output
Your Retirement Snapshot
**Your retirement number:** $1,875,000
*(Based on $75,000/year desired income × 25, using the 4% safe withdrawal rule)*
**Years to retirement:** 32 years (age 35 → 67)
**Projected balance at 67:** $1,420,000
*(At current $600/month contribution + $12,000 existing savings, assuming 7% avg return)*
**Gap:** -$455,000 😬
To close the gap, you need one of:
- Increase monthly contribution to $920/month, OR
- Accept slightly higher risk (9% projected return), OR
- Retire at 70 instead of 67, OR
- Combine: $750/month + retire at 69
Account priority:
1. 401(k) up to employer match — free money, always first
2. Max Roth IRA ($7,000/year) — tax-free growth
3. Back to 401(k) up to $23,000/year limit
4. HSA if eligible ($4,150/year) — triple tax advantage
5. Taxable brokerage — anything beyond
Tips for Best Results
- 💡The 4% rule is a conservative guideline — ask for a more aggressive or flexible withdrawal rate if relevant
- 💡Ask it to model your specific employer match — many people leave free money on the table
- 💡Request an inflation-adjusted version so you understand what your target is in future dollars
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