Am I On Track?
See where your retirement plan stands today — and what to adjust to stay on course.
Your savings balance from now through age 95 — showing both the growth phase and retirement withdrawals.
| Age | Your Savings | Benchmark | Status |
|---|
Understanding retirement readiness.
The 4% withdrawal rule is a widely referenced guideline from financial planner Bill Bengen and the Trinity Study. It suggests that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio in your first year of retirement, then adjusting for inflation each year after, gives you a strong probability of not outliving your savings over a 30-year retirement.
Most retirement models use an 80% income replacement ratio as the target. The logic: some expenses disappear in retirement (commuting, work wardrobe, active saving), while others stay roughly the same. 80% of your pre-retirement income is a practical benchmark for maintaining your lifestyle.
Fidelity's age-based benchmarks provide a useful gut-check: aim for 1x your salary saved by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 8x by 60, and 10x by 67. These aren't perfect for every situation, but they're a solid starting framework for measuring progress.
Social Security typically covers 30-40% of pre-retirement income for middle earners, but benefits may change by the time younger workers retire. Planning without it — or with a reduced amount — is a conservative and wise approach.
Above all, your savings rate is the single most powerful lever you control. Increasing your monthly contribution by even a small amount today compounds dramatically over a 20-30 year time horizon. Start with what you can, and ratchet it up as your income grows.