Retirement Planner — Sliders, Live Graph & Inflation

Adjust savings, age, returns, inflation, and retirement spending. Private by design—everything runs locally in your browser.

Inputs

Results

Projected pot at retirement (nominal): –
Projected pot at retirement (today’s money): –
Suggested sustainable withdrawal (rule of thumb): – (annual, ~4% of pot)
Plan verdict: –
Results are estimates, not financial advice. Consider taxes, fees, and changing market conditions.

How the Planner Works (Overview)

We compound monthly. Before retirement, the pot grows with investment returns and your contributions. At retirement, we switch to your in-retirement return and subtract your planned monthly spending. We show both nominal balances and an estimate in today’s money (inflation-adjusted).

  • Pre-retirement growth (monthly): FV = P₀(1+r)ⁿ + PMT·((1+r)ⁿ−1)/r
  • Inflation adjustment: divide by (1+i)ʸ to estimate “today’s money”.
  • Depletion check: if balance goes below £0 during retirement, we show the year of depletion.

Understanding Retirement Planning

Retirement planning prepares your finances for life after full-time work. Save consistently, invest wisely, and spend sustainably during retirement.

Key Factors That Influence Your Retirement

  • Starting age: the earlier you begin, the more compounding helps.
  • Retirement age: later retirement = more contributions, fewer drawdown years.
  • Current savings & contributions: your base and ongoing fuel.
  • Investment returns & inflation: crucial assumptions that shape outcomes.
  • Spending needs: housing, healthcare, and lifestyle drive drawdown.

Rules of Thumb vs. Personal Plans

The “4% rule” is a rough guide for ~30 years; real-world sustainability varies with markets, fees, taxes, and longevity.

Disclaimer: Educational only—not financial advice. Consider professional guidance.

5 Fun Facts about Retirement Planning

Longevity is rising fast

A 30-year-old in the UK today has roughly a 1-in-4 chance of living past 95—planning for a long runway matters.

Life expectancy

Sequence risk cuts both ways

Bad markets in your first 5 retirement years hurt most—but great early returns can make plans feel “easy mode.”

Order matters

Inflation triple-check

At 3% inflation, costs roughly double in 24 years (rule of 72). Groceries at £300/month today may be ~£600 when you’re 70.

Today’s money

Health costs are lumpy

Spending often dips after early retirement travel, then bumps up later for care/health. A flat withdrawal line hides this wobble.

Spending arc

Two levers beat one

Delaying retirement by just 2 years can help twice: more saving and fewer withdrawal years—often a bigger boost than chasing returns.

Double effect

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