How it works
Each year your salary grows by your raise, you put in your percentage of it (capped at the IRS limit, plus catch-up from age 50), and your employer adds its match: the match rate times your contribution, counted only up to the capped share of salary. With a 50% match up to 6%, contributing 4% of $72,000 earns $1,440 of match; contributing 6% would earn $2,160, so $720 a year is left on the table. The balance grows at your expected return, and is shown in today's dollars too. The income is the balance times your withdrawal rate. The contribution needed is the lowest whole percent of salary whose balance reaches your goal; the spreadsheet adds a non-matching employer contribution, IRA saving, editable limits and a year-by-year table.