Workplace plans (401(k), 403(b), 457, pensions)
Individual accounts (IRAs, Roth IRAs, taxable brokerage)
Public benefits (Social Security, state pensions)
Country-specific tax-advantaged accounts (RRSP, TFSA, ISA, Super, NPS, EPF, etc.)

1. Estimate your retirement spending needs

Start with a realistic annual spending target in today’s dollars. Many households spend 70–90% of their pre-retirement income, but your number depends on housing, healthcare, debt, and lifestyle.

Rule-of-thumb target:

Required portfolio ≈ (Desired annual spending − Guaranteed income) ÷ Safe withdrawal rate

Example: If you want $70,000/year, expect $25,000 from Social Security and use a 4% withdrawal rate:

($70,000 − $25,000) ÷ 0.04 = $1,125,000 target portfolio.

2. Project your savings and investment growth

Use the 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, and country-specific tools to project balances at your target retirement age. Adjust:

Contribution rate (including employer match)
Asset allocation and expected real return
Retirement age and savings horizon

3. Layer in guaranteed income

Next, estimate guaranteed income streams:

Social Security and other public pensions
Employer pensions via the Pension Calculator
Any annuities or lifetime income products

Subtract these from your spending target to find how much must come from your portfolio.

4. Plan withdrawals and tax strategy

Use the RMD calculator and Roth/IRA tools to coordinate:

Which accounts to tap first (taxable vs. tax-deferred vs. Roth)
How Roth conversions might reduce future RMDs
How to smooth taxable income across years

5. Stress-test your plan

Early retirement and FIRE scenarios are especially sensitive to market returns and inflation. Use the FIRE planner to test:

Higher or lower real returns
Longer lifespans (30–40+ years)
Sequence-of-returns risk (bad markets early in retirement)

Key Retirement Planning Concepts

Safe Withdrawal Rate

The safe withdrawal rate is the percentage of your portfolio you can withdraw in the first year of retirement, then adjust for inflation, with a high probability of not running out of money.

3–4% is often used for 30-year retirements in developed markets.
For very early retirement (FIRE), many planners prefer 3–3.5%.
Flexible spending rules (cutting back after bad years) can allow higher starting rates.

Tax diversification

Having money in different account types gives you flexibility:

Tax-deferred (401(k), traditional IRA, RRSP, Super, NPS Tier I): tax deduction now, taxable later.
Tax-free (Roth IRA, TFSA, some ISAs): no deduction now, tax-free later.
Taxable brokerage: no special retirement rules, but capital gains and dividends are taxed.

Longevity and inflation risk

Two of the biggest risks in retirement are living longer than expected and inflation eroding purchasing power. To manage them:

Plan for at least 30 years of retirement, often more.
Include growth assets (like equities) to outpace inflation.
Consider partial annuitization or pensions as longevity insurance.

This hub is for education and planning support only and is not individualized financial, tax, or legal advice. Always confirm details like contribution limits, tax rules, and benefit formulas with official sources (IRS, SSA, government pension agencies) or a qualified professional.