Retirement Calculator

A reasonable rule: target 25-30 times your annual expenses at retirement. If you'll spend ₹6 lakh a year (in today's money), and inflate that to retirement age — say ₹15 lakh annually 20 years from now — you'll need a corpus of ₹3.75-4.5 crore. The 25x rule comes from the 4% safe withdrawal idea, adapted for India where you might use 3.5%. Factor in healthcare inflation separately — it runs higher than general inflation. Use the calculator with your current expenses, retirement age, and life expectancy. The number is usually larger than people initially assume.

First, project your retirement-age annual expenses by inflating today's expenses. If you spend ₹50,000 a month now and you're retiring in 25 years, at 6% inflation that becomes around ₹2.14 lakh a month — or ₹25.7 lakh a year. Multiply by 25-30 (or divide by your safe withdrawal rate, typically 3-4%) to get the corpus needed. Around ₹6.4-7.7 crore in this case. Healthcare costs need extra padding — they grow faster than 6%. Build the corpus through SIPs, EPF, NPS, and PPF. The calculator handles the inflation-adjusted target for you.

It depends on your current age and target. Roughly, if you start at 25 with a ₹4 crore goal at 60, you need around ₹7,000 monthly at 12% returns. Start at 35 and the same goal needs about ₹22,000 monthly. Start at 45 and you'd need ₹76,000 — and that's painful. Time is the cheapest leverage you have in retirement planning. A common rule: save at least 15% of gross income for retirement from your 30s onwards. Step up contributions every year. The calculator works backwards from your target and tells you the exact monthly amount.

The classic "4% rule" suggests withdrawing 4% of your starting corpus each year, adjusted for inflation. In India, with higher inflation and longer-term debt returns, a safer rate is 3-3.5%. So a ₹5 crore corpus comfortably supports ₹15-17.5 lakh of annual withdrawals. Withdraw too aggressively and you risk running out by 80; too conservatively and you'll leave a huge legacy unspent. Healthcare costs late in life can spike, so build a 10-15% buffer above your basic withdrawal needs. The calculator can stress-test different withdrawal rates against expected lifespan.

That depends on your starting corpus, withdrawal rate, returns, and inflation. ₹3 crore corpus growing at 7% post-retirement, with annual withdrawals of ₹15 lakh inflating at 6%, lasts roughly 30-32 years. Increase the withdrawal to ₹20 lakh and it might run out in 20-22 years. The interplay between sequence of returns (especially poor early years) and inflation is the biggest risk. Keep 2-3 years of expenses in safe instruments to avoid selling equity during market downturns. The calculator simulates different scenarios — use it conservatively rather than optimistically.

Starting late means contributing more aggressively and possibly working a few extra years. If you're 45 with little saved and want to retire at 60, you might need to invest 35-50% of your income. Maximise EPF, NPS, and equity SIPs. Consider delaying retirement to 65 — those extra 5 years of contributions plus 5 fewer years of withdrawals can shrink the required corpus by 30-40%. Cut high-interest debt first; it competes with your savings. Healthcare insurance becomes critical. Don't take on equity-heavy risk in panic — stick to a balanced portfolio. The calculator shows what's still achievable.

Plan for life expectancy of 85-90 years, even if family history suggests less. Indian life expectancy is rising, and medical advances continue. For someone retiring at 60, that means planning for 25-30 years of withdrawals. Underestimating lifespan is the most common mistake in retirement planning — running out of money at 80 is a real risk. If you have a chronic condition or family longevity history, add 5 years to your default planning age. The calculator lets you toggle expected lifespan. Always plan for the longer scenario; the cost of overestimating is far less than the cost of running out.