The Best Retirement Calculator for Self-Employed Workers
Standard retirement calculators assume a steady salary and employer match. If you're freelance or self-employed, your income fluctuates, you have no employer 401k, and you might be targeting FIRE or Coast FI instead of age 65. This one handles all of it.
📈Try Retirement Savings Calculator →Retirement Savings Calculator
Find out if you're on track to retire comfortably. See your projected balance, inflation-adjusted income, and exactly how much more to save each month to close any gap.
- ✗Employer match is assumed — most calculators build in a 3-6% employer contribution. Self-employed workers fund 100% of their retirement themselves, which changes both the required contribution rate and the timeline.
- ✗Variable income isn't modeled — a single annual income field doesn't reflect the reality of freelance income. Contribution amounts fluctuate with revenue.
- ✗Coast FI isn't calculated — if you've saved enough that compound growth alone will reach your goal by retirement without further contributions, that's Coast FI. Most tools don't tell you when you hit it.
- ✗Inflation-adjusted projections are buried or missing — a $2M balance in 30 years isn't the same as $2M today. Most tools show nominal balances without surfacing real purchasing power.
- ✗The FI number is abstract — knowing you need $2M at 4% withdrawal rate isn't actionable. The gap between now and that number is what drives decisions.
See the exact balance at which you can stop contributing and still reach your FI number by retirement — relying on compound growth alone. Includes the date you'll hit Coast FI.
The difference between your current savings rate and what you need to retire on schedule is shown explicitly — monthly and annually — so you know exactly what to adjust.
All projections show both nominal and real (inflation-adjusted) values. Your target is expressed in today's purchasing power, not a future dollar figure that looks large but isn't.
Supports Solo 401k, SEP-IRA, and SIMPLE IRA contribution limits — not just the standard $23,000 employee-only 401k cap that applies to W-2 workers.
| Feature | Typical Calculator | Reise Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Coast FI calculation with target date | ||
| Inflation-adjusted (real) projections | Partial | |
| FI number with gap analysis | ||
| Solo 401k / SEP-IRA contribution limits | ||
| Variable income / contribution modeling | ||
| 4% withdrawal rate breakdown | Partial | |
| Formula shown for every output | ||
| Free with no account required |
Every Reise calculator has a ShowMath panel — expand it and you see the exact formula with your actual numbers substituted in. Not a result. Not a black box. The full derivation, step by step.
Retirement planning for freelancers isn't a spreadsheet problem — it's a gap analysis problem. The ShowMath panel shows the exact math from current balance to FI number, including the Coast FI breakpoint, so you know what you're working toward and when you'll get there.
Calculate your FI number at three expense tiers: essential-only, full lifestyle, and dream life. See years to each tier at your savings rate, your Coast FI number, and the monthly savings needed to retire by your target age.
Calculate your savings rate and see how it affects your path to financial independence. FI number, years to FI, projected retirement balance, and a sensitivity table across 5–70% savings rates.
100+ free calculators. Every result shows the formula. No account required.
Open Retirement Savings Calculator