Welcome to ModernRetire
ModernRetire helps you model your retirement — from first dollar saved to last year of life. This tutorial walks you through the six steps to build a complete plan in about 15 minutes.
Open ModernRetire →Start with the basics: who you are, when you plan to retire, and where you live. The app uses your birth date (not your age) so projections stay accurate as time passes.
- Birth year & monthUsed to compute your current age and all future milestone ages automatically.
- Retirement year & monthWhen you plan to stop working. The earlier in the year, the more you potentially save on that year's income tax.
- Life expectancyHow far to project. Default is 95. A longer horizon is more conservative.
- Filing statusSingle or Married Filing Jointly. Affects every tax calculation in the app.
- StateDetermines state income tax rules — all 50 states + DC are supported.
- FRA (Full Retirement Age)Set to 67 if born 1960 or later; 66 for earlier birth years. Affects Social Security benefit calculations.
Toggle Has Spouse to unlock spouse fields. You can model separate retirement dates, account balances, Social Security claims, and survival scenarios.
If you retire before December, the app notes how much you save in income tax compared to retiring at year-end — retiring in June can save thousands.
Income and spending are the two levers that determine how long your money lasts. The app models both your working years and retirement in detail.
- Annual incomeYour current gross salary or W-2 wages. Used to compute contributions, employer match, and accumulation-phase taxes.
- Income growth rateExpected annual raise %. Use 2–3% for conservative planning.
- Bridge incomePart-time or consulting income between early retirement and full SS/pension income. Toggle on and set start/end ages.
- Retirement spendingAnnual target in today's dollars. The app inflates this each year using your inflation assumption.
- InflationDefault 3%. Raise to 4% for a more conservative stress test.
- Spending strategyChoose Fixed (constant real), Guardrails (adjusts with portfolio), or % of Portfolio. Guardrails (Guyton-Klinger) is recommended for most people.
On Profile → Expenses, turn on Budget Builder and total 12 categories in today's dollars. The annual sum fills your retirement spending target so you are not guessing at one large number.
If you have a mortgage, toggle it on and enter the monthly payment and the age when it'll be paid off. Add car loans, student loans, or other debts with the + Add debt button.
This is the most important section. Accurate balances, realistic contribution rates, and a smart withdrawal strategy are the foundation of every projection.
- 401(k) / 403(b) / 457(b)Your current pre-tax employer retirement account. Grows tax-deferred; taxable on withdrawal.
- Traditional IRAPre-tax IRA. RMD start age depends on your birth year (e.g. 73 for 1951–1959, 75 if born 1960 or later).
- Roth IRA / Roth 401(k)After-tax contributions with tax-free growth. No RMDs in your lifetime.
- Taxable brokerageRegular investment account. Subject to capital gains tax when you sell.
- HSAHealth Savings Account. Triple tax-advantaged — pre-tax in, tax-free growth, tax-free out for medical.
- 401(k) deferralYour annual employee contribution. 2026 limit: $23,500 (or $31,000 at age 50+, $34,750 at 60–63).
- Employer matchMatch percentage (e.g., 4%). The app models full match up to this % of income.
- IRA contributionAnnual IRA contribution. Limit is $7,000 ($8,000 at 50+).
- HSA contributionRequires an HDHP health plan. 2026 limits: $4,300 (self) / $8,550 (family) + $1,000 catch-up at 55+.
Advanced tax levers (optional — expand when ready)
- Roth ConversionsConvert pre-tax money to Roth each year. Set the annual amount and target tax bracket to avoid bracket creep.
- Roth Conversion Tax SourceChoose whether conversion taxes come from your taxable account, proportionally from all accounts, or from bridge income when bridge mode is on.
- Mega Backdoor RothIf your 401(k) allows after-tax contributions with in-plan conversion, you can contribute up to $70K/yr total.
- QCD (Qualified Charitable Distribution)At age 70½+, donate directly from your IRA to charity — up to $105K/yr, tax-free.
- Catch-Up / Super Catch-Up50+ adds $1K to IRA and $7,500 to 401(k). Ages 60–63 get an enhanced 'super catch-up' of $11,250 to 401(k).
- Withdrawal orderRecommended order is RMDs → Taxable → Pre-tax → Roth, deferring Roth as long as possible.
If you're age 50+ and earn over $150,000, SECURE 2.0 requires catch-up contributions to go into a Roth account. The app warns you if this applies.
Social Security is often the largest single income source in retirement — small claiming decisions can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Claiming age (62–70)You can claim as early as 62 (reduced benefit) or delay up to 70 (8%/yr delayed credits after FRA). Each year of delay adds ~6–8% permanently.
- Monthly benefit at FRAFind this on your Social Security statement at ssa.gov/myaccount. Enter your benefit at full retirement age.
- Break-even analysisAutomatically calculated — shows the age at which delaying pays off vs. claiming at 62. Typical break-even is ~78–82.
If you're in good health, delaying to 70 is often the optimal strategy — it's the highest guaranteed return available. Run Optimizer from Planning tools (Step 6) to confirm for your situation.
If you retire before Medicare eligibility at 65, you need private coverage. Choose your coverage mode:
- ACA MarketplaceSubsidized if your MAGI is between 100%–400% FPL. The app calculates your subsidy automatically based on household size and state.
- COBRAContinues employer coverage for up to 18 months. More expensive but no network change.
- Retiree PlanIf your employer offers post-retirement coverage, enter the monthly premium.
- Spouse's Employer PlanIf your spouse is still working, you can stay on their plan — often the cheapest option.
Roth conversions increase your MAGI, which can reduce or eliminate ACA subsidies. The app shows a warning when ACA mode is active.
- PensionEnter annual amount, start age, COLA, and survivor benefit percentage.
- Long-Term Care (LTC)Model insurance premiums and potential care costs (home care, assisted living, memory care, nursing home).
- SPIA / QLACAnnuity products — SPIA provides immediate income; QLAC defers income from your IRA to reduce RMDs and longevity risk.
With your profile complete, explore the Projections section to see your plan visualized over time. Each view answers a different question.
Use the age slider to move through your life year by year. See every account's balance, growth formula, tax detail, and any notable events (home sale, RMD start, SS claiming).
A stacked area chart of all account balances from now to life expectancy. Toggle between Portfolio Balances and Cash Flow. Hover to see exact values at any age.
An animated flow diagram showing exactly where money comes from and where it goes each retirement year. Ribbons are sized proportionally to dollar amounts.
Runs 1,000+ simulations with randomized market returns to show the probability your plan succeeds. A success rate above 80% is generally considered robust.
Open Projections → Monte Carlo and turn on Monte Carlo on at the top of that page (optional trial count). It takes a few seconds but is the most meaningful single metric in the app.
Tests your plan against actual historical market sequences (1970s inflation, 2000 dot-com crash, 2008 crisis). See which decades would have stressed your plan most.
The optimizer searches thousands of strategy combinations to find the one that lets you retire earliest with the lowest lifetime tax burden. It tests different retirement ages, Social Security claiming ages, and Roth conversion amounts simultaneously.
Open the top nav Planning tools section, then Run Optimizer. When it finishes, you'll see a recommended strategy, KPI comparison vs. your current plan, and ranked alternatives.
Lock your SS claiming age before optimizing if you've already decided — the optimizer will then only vary the other parameters.
A 5×5 sensitivity grid testing your plan across 25 combinations of market return offsets (−4% to +4%) and inflation offsets (0% to +4%). Green cells survive to life expectancy; red cells run out early.
The Tax Plan shows a year-by-year table of federal tax, state tax, IRMAA, ACA subsidy, Roth conversions, and RMDs. Tax Brackets visualizes marginal bracket room for conversions.
Compare runs four Roth conversion archetypes against your current plan and scores them by projected household after-tax wealth.
Save named snapshots and compare up to ten manual plans side by side. Four Roth variants from Compare are stored separately and do not use those slots.
A dedicated grid for lifetime Social Security income at every claiming age from 62 to 70 for primary and spouse.
After a run, review the recommendation summary and next steps before applying it to your plan.
The Legacy section helps you understand what you'll leave behind and how heirs will be taxed on it.
- InheritanceBar chart of your estimated estate at ages 75, 80, 85, and 90 — broken down by account type and heir tax burden.
- Heir TaxModels the income tax your heirs will owe on inherited pre-tax accounts. The 10-year rule (SECURE 2.0) means they must distribute the entire IRA within 10 years.
- TCJA / Estate TaxThe OBBBA (2025) permanently extended the higher estate tax exemption (~$15M per person, inflation-adjusted).
- Estate ChecklistA practical checklist of legal documents, beneficiary designations, and planning tasks for your heirs.
ModernRetire is a planning tool, not financial advice. All projections are estimates based on your inputs and simplified models. Tax rules shown are 2026. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making retirement decisions.