How to use it
- Enter Saved per month.
- Enter Monthly income.
The formula
Savings rate = amount saved ÷ income × 100%.
Worked example
About this calculator
Your savings rate matters more than your investment returns for most of your working life. Doubling a 7% return to 14% is nearly impossible; doubling a 10% savings rate to 20% is a decision — and it simultaneously grows your assets and shrinks the lifestyle your future self must fund.
There's a neat rule of thumb: at a 10% savings rate you need roughly 50 years of work to fund retirement; at 25%, about 32 years; at 50%, about 17. Small percentage moves buy back years of your life, which is why this unglamorous number deserves a calculator of its own.
Frequently asked questions
What savings rate is good?
10–15% is a common baseline for retirement; the FIRE community targets 30–50%+.
Gross or net income?
Be consistent. Net (take-home) is more intuitive for most people.
Does paying off debt count?
Extra principal payments build net worth, so many people count them as saving.
Tips
- Automate deposits so saving happens by default.
- Keep an easy-access emergency buffer separate from goals.
- Chase a competitive rate — the gap compounds.
Key terms
- APY
- Yearly rate including compounding.
- Liquidity
- How easily you can access funds.
- CD
- A fixed-term deposit.