The centerpiece calculator. Project your target return date from your current savings, monthly contributions, and target nest egg. Sees the impact of investment growth, inflation, and one-time costs like relocation.
Where you are now
Liquid savings + investments
From Savings Rate calculator
Target nest egg
Use Passive Income calc to determine
Conservative: 3%, Aggressive: 5%+
Growth assumptions
S&P 500 historical: ~7-10% nominal
Salary increases over time
One-time costs
From Relocation Budget calculator
Investment growth accounts for 23% of your final nest egg — that's the power of compound returns.
Medium-term horizon
6.6 years — you're making progress. Every increase in monthly savings shortens this significantly.
These insights are educational and do not constitute financial advice.
Saved plans
No saved plans yet. Save your first plan above.
Understanding the numbers
Your return timeline is the answer to "when can I go home?" — projected from three variables: (1) where you are now (current savings), (2) how fast you're adding (monthly contributions + growth), and (3) where you need to be (target nest egg).
This calculator uses compound growth with monthly contributions, accounting for both investment returns and inflation eroding your target's real value. The "inflation-adjusted target" feature is critical — what costs $100K today might cost $115K in 5 years at 3% inflation.
What target nest egg to use
There's no universal answer — it depends on your post-return plan:
- Cash cushion only: 12-24 months of expenses (~$30K-$80K). Most conservative.
- Cushion + relocation + setup: Cushion + 1-time costs (~$50K-$120K).
- Cushion + business capital: Cushion + $25K-$100K to start a venture.
- FIRE (financial independence): 25× annual expenses (~$300K-$1M+). Most aggressive.
The Passive Income / FIRE calculator helps you determine the FIRE number; the Relocation Budget calculator quantifies one-time costs. Use those to refine your target.
Why this matters
Without a projected return date, you're just "saving indefinitely" — which feels directionless and leads to burnout. A concrete date (even if it shifts) gives you something to plan around: when to give notice, when to start paperwork, when to ship belongings, when to tell family. The date is the anchor for everything else.