For military service members and veterans
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Request a conversationThis retirement savings calculator from Savant Wealth Management shows what your savings could be worth at retirement, both in future dollars and in today's dollars. It also splits the total into money you deposited and money the investments added.
Enter your savings, monthly deposit, years to go, a return and inflation, then change one box at a time. Treat the result as an illustration, not a forecast.
See how the estimate is built
The calculator compounds your balance every month at the return you enter. At the end of each month it adds your deposit. Then it divides the final number by inflation, which gives you the same balance in today's dollars.
Look at the table: the deposits grow in a straight line, but the estimated value curves upward. In the first 4 years, growth adds about $115,818. Between years 24 and 25, a single year adds $168,604. That's the pattern the calculator is built to show, and it only works if you stay invested for the full period.
| After years | Estimated value | Money you put in |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | $575,818 | $460,000 |
| 8 | $799,193 | $520,000 |
| 12 | $1,082,988 | $580,000 |
| 16 | $1,443,547 | $640,000 |
| 20 | $1,901,633 | $700,000 |
| 24 | $2,483,626 | $760,000 |
| 25 | $2,652,230 | $775,000 |
When is the result good enough?
It's good enough when the today's-dollar balance covers the gap your pension leaves. Use this quick test: subtract your pension and other steady income from yearly spending, then multiply the gap by 25.
Say a hypothetical retiree spends $90,000 each year and the military pension pays $48,000. The gap is $42,000, and 25 times that is $1,050,000. If the calculator shows less than that in today's dollars, you have a decision to make: save more, retire later, or plan to spend less.
The exception: a second career income can fill the gap for a few years, which changes the order of decisions. Don't count on it for the whole period.
What the calculator leaves out, and how Savant Wealth Management fills it in
A calculator uses one steady return. A real retirement doesn't. A bad market in the first few years of withdrawals hurts far more than the same drop later, and the tool can't show that. Investing always carries risk of loss.
Savant Wealth Management starts from the same position this page does: one decision at a time, in order of due date, each with the numbers in front of you. Before Savant Wealth Management suggests moving money between funds, it works out what the switch would cost in tax. The fee schedule arrives in writing before the intro call.
The calculator does not leave out the items below by accident. They belong in a plan built on your own accounts:
- Taxes on TSP and IRA withdrawals
- Pension cost-of-living changes
- Social Security and VA disability pay
- Uneven returns in the first years
Questions people ask Savant Wealth Management
Is a retirement savings calculator a forecast of what I'll have?
No, it shows an illustration. The estimate assumes one steady return and one steady inflation rate for every year, and markets don't behave that way. Real returns arrive unevenly, and all investing carries risk, so you can lose money, including what you put in. Run the calculator with a low, a middle and a high return to see the spread.
What return should I enter in the calculator?
Use the return you'd be comfortable being wrong about, and test two or three values. A lower return makes the result more cautious, a higher one flatters it. Don't pick a number because a past year looked good. Change one input at a time so you can see which one moves the result most.
Does the calculator count my military pension?
No. The calculator only grows the savings you enter and the monthly deposits you add. A military pension, VA disability pay and Social Security are separate income streams. Subtract them from your expected spending first, then compare the remaining gap with the savings result in today's dollars.
How do I enter my Thrift Savings Plan balance and a new 401(k)?
Enter the combined balance in the current savings box and the combined monthly deposits. If you contribute to the TSP and to a new employer's 401(k), add both together. For 2026, the employee limit for each of those plans is $24,500. Tax treatment differs between traditional and Roth money, and the calculator doesn't model that.
When should I talk to an advisor instead of using the calculator?
Savant Wealth Management advisors work from your actual accounts, your pension and your tax situation, and they put the decisions in order of due date. The firm's client minimum is $500K in investable assets. If you're below that, the calculator and this page still help you test your own numbers.
What happens if you mistype one box?
The result can be off by a wide margin. The usual slip is entering a yearly amount in the monthly box. Your $1,250 a month is $15,000 each year, so typing $15,000 as the monthly deposit overstates your savings by 12 times.
Check the years box too. Count to your actual retirement date, not to the date the pension starts.
This content is general information and education. It is not individualized investment advice, tax advice or legal guidance. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Before making financial decisions, talk to a professional who understands your full situation.