Know Your Numbers
Reader Resources
Two Calculators, One Plan
Knowing your numbers is the foundation of every retirement plan. The two calculators below walk you through the same calculations used in the book. Start with the Quick Calculation for a fast snapshot in today's dollars, then continue to the Six-Step Method for a complete forward-looking plan.
Quick Calculation
A fast snapshot in today's dollars. See where you would stand if you retired today with what you have, and whether you have a gap to close or are already ahead.
The Six-Step Method
A complete forward-looking calculation. Adjust for rising prices, project your savings forward to retirement, and find the monthly amount that helps close any gap.
Know Your Numbers
For many of us, looking at the numbers is the hardest part of retirement planning. We delay it longer than we should because uncertainty about retirement feels heavier than the truth. We imagine the worst and let the questions hang in the air while the months pass. But the numbers are not here to scare you. They are here to guide you. Take a deep breath, run them, and let yourself trade vague worry for a clear target you can act on. Whatever you find, you will know more today than you did yesterday, and that is the foundation every retirement plan is built on.
~Lynn
