Retirement calculator

Free ira calculator

Project what your IRA grows to from your contributions and expected return — within the 2025 $7,000 (plus $1,000 catch-up) limit, updated live, as you type.

On this page12 sections

Results are estimates. Consult a professional.

Overview

What an IRA growth calculator shows you

An IRA calculator projects what your individual retirement account will be worth at retirement by compounding a starting balance and your regular contributions at an expected rate of return. An IRA — an individual retirement arrangement — is a tax-advantaged account you open yourself, separate from any workplace plan. This tool answers the one question every IRA saver asks: if I keep putting money in, how big does the account get? Enter your age, retirement age, current balance, monthly contribution, and expected return, and it updates the projected nest egg live as you type.

The headline limit to plan around is the 2025 IRA contribution cap of $7,000, rising to $8,000 if you are 50 or older thanks to a $1,000 catch-up. That cap applies across all your IRAs combined — traditional and Roth together — so this projector assumes you contribute within it. A $7,000 annual cap works out to about $583 a month, which is the default this calculator starts from.

Individual retirement arrangement — a personal tax-advantaged retirement account you open and fund yourself, not through an employer.

The most you can add across all IRAs in a year. For 2025 it is $7,000, or $8,000 if you are 50 or older.

The average annual growth rate you assume for the account. A diversified long-run stock/bond mix is often modeled at 6–8%.

The projected account balance at your chosen retirement age — what the contributions and growth add up to.

The method

How the IRA calculator projects growth

The projector compounds your balance month by month. Each month it grows the existing balance by one month of return, then adds your contribution — so every dollar you put in starts earning straightaway and earlier contributions compound the longest.

balance(next) = balance(now) × (1 + r) + monthly contribution

r = expected annual return ÷ 12 (monthly rate)

months = (retirement age − current age) × 12

real value = final balance ÷ (1.03)^years

This is a gross, pre-tax growth projection. It does not subtract taxes or apply the Roth/Traditional difference — that depends on which IRA you hold. Use it to size the account; use the Roth-vs-Traditional comparison below for the after-tax picture.

Inputs

How to use the inputs

Current age and retirement age. The gap between them sets how many years of compounding you get — the single biggest driver of the result.
Current savings. Your existing IRA balance. It compounds for the full term, so a head start matters.
Monthly contribution. Default $583 — the 2025 $7,000 annual cap spread over 12 months. Bump it to about $667 ($8,000 ÷ 12) if you are 50 or older and using the catch-up.
Expected return. Your assumed average annual growth. The default 7% is a common long-run planning figure for a diversified portfolio, not a guarantee.
Employer match % and salary. Leave these at zero for an IRA. They drive 401(k)-style matching, and IRAs have no employer match — only a workplace plan does.

Worked example

A worked example using the IRA calculator

Example: maxing an IRA from age 35 to 65

Priya is 35, has $50,000 already in her IRA, and contributes the full $583 a month (the 2025 $7,000 cap). She assumes a 7% return and plans to retire at 65. These are the calculator's default inputs, so you can reproduce the result exactly.

Step 1 — Set the horizon

From age 35 to 65 is 30 years, or 360 monthly compounding steps. The monthly rate is 7% ÷ 12 ≈ 0.583%.

Step 2 — Compound month by month

Each month the balance grows by 0.583% and then $583 is added. Over 360 months Priya contributes $209,880 of her own money on top of the $50,000 she started with.

Step 3 — Read the result

$1,117,068 projected nest egg

In inflation-adjusted (real) dollars that is about $460,217. Of the ending balance, only $259,880 is principal — her $50,000 starting balance plus $209,880 of contributions — so compounding added roughly $857,000. These are the figures this calculator returns for the default inputs.

Reference

2025 IRA contribution limits

The contribution cap is the ceiling on what you can feed the projector each year. It is the combined limit across every traditional and Roth IRA you hold — not a separate limit for each account.

Saver	2025 base limit	Catch-up	Total
Under 50	$7,000	—	$7,000
Age 50 and older	$7,000	$1,000	$8,000

2025 IRA contribution limits, combined across all traditional and Roth IRAs. Source: IRS. The limit is also capped at your taxable compensation for the year if that is lower.

IRS — Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits (2025: $7,000; $8,000 if age 50+).

Two flavors

Traditional vs. Roth: which IRA is this projection for?

An IRA comes in two main types, and the growth math here applies to both — the difference is when you pay tax. A traditional IRA may give you a deduction now and is taxed as ordinary income when you withdraw. A Roth IRA takes after-tax money now and pays out tax-free in retirement, with no required withdrawals during your lifetime.

Pick traditional if you expect a lower tax rate in retirement than today, or want the upfront deduction.
Pick Roth if you expect a higher (or similar) tax rate later, want tax-free withdrawals, and want to skip lifetime required distributions.

This calculator shows the gross balance that applies to either. To model the tax difference, use the Roth IRA calculator, the Traditional IRA calculator, or compare them head to head with the Roth vs. Traditional IRA calculator.

Mistakes to avoid

Common IRA mistakes and gotchas

Over-contributing. Going past the $7,000/$8,000 combined cap triggers a 6% excise tax each year the excess stays in the account. The cap covers traditional and Roth together, not each separately.
Forgetting the earned-income rule. You can only contribute up to your taxable compensation for the year. No earned income, no contribution (a spousal IRA is the exception).
Assuming the projection is after-tax. A traditional IRA balance will be taxed on withdrawal; a Roth balance will not. The number here is gross for both.
Ignoring required minimum distributions. Traditional IRAs force withdrawals starting at age 73; Roth IRAs do not require them during the owner's lifetime.
Early withdrawals. Taking money out before age 59½ generally adds a 10% penalty on top of any tax, shrinking the nest egg this tool projects.

Methodology

How this calculator works and accuracy

This IRA calculator compounds your balance monthly at the rate you enter and adds your contribution each month from your current age to retirement, then discounts the result at 3% a year for an inflation-adjusted figure. It assumes a steady contribution and a constant return; real markets vary year to year, so treat the output as a planning estimate, not a guarantee or financial advice. The 2025 contribution limit and the age-73 RMD rule cited here come from the IRS.

IRS — Retirement topics: IRA contribution limits (2025 $7,000 / $8,000 catch-up).IRS — Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs (RMDs begin at age 73; Roth IRAs exempt during the owner's life).

Questions

Frequently asked questions about the free ira calculator

An IRA calculator is a free online tool that helps you project IRA growth with annual contributions. Traditional IRA grows tax-deferred. Roth IRA grows tax-free. 2024 contribution limit: $7,000 ($8,000 if 50+). It runs entirely in your browser with instant results and no sign-up.

For 2025 you can contribute up to $7,000 across all your IRAs combined, or $8,000 if you are 50 or older thanks to a $1,000 catch-up. The limit is also capped at your taxable compensation for the year if that is lower. It applies to traditional and Roth IRAs together, not separately to each.

A traditional IRA may give you a tax deduction now and is taxed as ordinary income when you withdraw, with required withdrawals starting at age 73. A Roth IRA takes after-tax money now and pays out tax-free in retirement, with no required minimum distributions during your lifetime. Traditional favors a lower future tax rate; Roth favors a higher or similar one.

It depends on how much you contribute, your return, and how long it grows. As an example, $50,000 already invested plus $583 a month (the 2025 cap) at a 7% return for 30 years projects to about $1,117,068 — of which only about $260,000 is money you put in. Enter your own figures above to see your number.

Yes. The IRA limit and the 401(k) limit are separate, so you can fund both in the same year. Being covered by a workplace 401(k) does not stop you contributing to an IRA, though it can limit how much of a traditional IRA contribution is tax-deductible at higher incomes.

Generally at age 59½. Withdrawing earlier usually adds a 10% early-withdrawal penalty on top of any income tax, with limited exceptions. Traditional IRAs then require minimum distributions starting at age 73; Roth IRAs never require them during the owner's lifetime.

About

About this IRA calculator

This IRA calculator projects the future value of an individual retirement account by compounding your starting balance and monthly contributions at an expected rate of return, from your current age to retirement. It works for both traditional and Roth IRAs, planning around the 2025 $7,000 contribution limit ($8,000 if you are 50 or older), and shows the result in both nominal and inflation-adjusted dollars.

It is a gross, pre-tax growth estimate, not financial advice — real returns vary year to year. Explore more tools on the retirement calculators shelf, or browse every tool in the calculator directory.