Comprehensive retirement planning that runs entirely in your browser. No accounts, no cloud, no subscriptions.
Three pre-built families demonstrate different retirement scenarios. The Clarks (Simple mode) — a couple relying on Social Security and moderate savings. The Lees (Simple mode) — dual-income optimizers with HSA, Roth conversion windows, and SS timing decisions. The Washingtons (Full mode) — pension, legacy goals, estate tax exposure, LTC planning, and mortgage. Load any example from the … menu to explore, then reset when ready for your own plan.
Two UI modes — one engine. Simple shows 7 streamlined input tabs with simplified fields for quick, clean planning. Full reveals all 14 tabs and every advanced feature. Toggle anytime from the header — switching modes never changes your numbers, it only controls which controls are visible. New users start in Simple; existing users get a one-time prompt to choose.
A full financial projection from your current age through end of plan. Every year is modeled individually — income, savings, investment growth, expenses, withdrawals, taxes, and net worth — so you can see exactly when and why things change.
Track seven account types independently: Pre-Tax (401k, 403b, 457b, IRA), Roth, HSA (Health Savings Account), Cash/HYS (savings, CDs, checking), Brokerage, Inherited IRA, and Inherited Roth IRA. Inherited accounts follow the SECURE Act 10-year forced distribution schedule, or the pre-2020 grandfathered stretch regime, or the SECURE Act EDB exceptions (disabled, chronically ill, or within 10 years of the decedent’s age) with per-account Single Life Expectancy math, and are excluded from Roth conversion modeling. Each account carries its own expected return rate — great for modeling a 4% HYSA alongside a 7% equity portfolio. HSA has full triple-tax treatment; Cash/HYS interest is taxed as ordinary income; brokerage withdrawals trigger capital gains with dynamic cost basis tracking — enter your actual cost basis and the engine computes the gain fraction each year as your portfolio grows, receives contributions, and makes withdrawals. Quick Add presets let you add common account types with one click.
Full dual-income household modeling. Independent retirement ages, income trajectories, savings rates, SS benefits, pensions, and SSDI — all flowing into a unified household projection. Includes spouse-specific account presets.
Toggle between future dollars and today's purchasing power on both the Dashboard and Projection tabs. Stats, charts, Plan Summary, and lifetime totals all update instantly. Lifetime sums (taxes, IRMAA, conversions) are deflated per-year for accurate present-value totals.
2026 federal tax brackets (MFJ and single) applied year by year. All 50 states + DC with progressive brackets for bracketed states and flat rates where applicable. Social Security exemptions (with age and income gates), retirement income exclusions for pensions and IRA/401k distributions, and filing-status-aware schedules. Taxable income computed from earned income, Social Security (up to 85% taxable), RMDs, Roth conversions, pensions, and capital gains.
Federal income tax, state income tax, capital gains tax, and Net Investment Income Tax are drawn from your portfolio in the year incurred, following your configured withdrawal order. The engine wraps the gap-fill cascade in a fixed-point iteration and converges within each year, accounting for the self-referential tax-on-tax effect (where a withdrawal to pay tax generates more taxable income, which generates more tax). Conversion tax is paid from a designated source separate from the regular cascade. A small ⓘ flag appears in the Projection table on years where iteration converges slowly at bracket transitions, with a conservative tax estimate used — typically less than $500 over-drained per flagged year.
Required Minimum Distributions using the Uniform Lifetime Table with SECURE Act 2.0 start ages (73–75 depending on birth year). RMDs come from pre-tax accounts and flow into taxable income. The dashboard shows your RMD start age and peak annual RMD so there are no surprises.
Tests ~200+ Roth Conversion Ladder strategies varying fixed amounts, bracket targets (fill 12%/22%/24%), Smart Fill (IRMAA-aware bracket fill), and timing windows. Ranks the top 8 by a composite score that weighs tax savings, IRMAA impact, and net worth gain. Apply any result with one click — it becomes your active strategy across all tabs.
See the true effective tax rate on each additional dollar of Roth conversion. The "tax torpedo" becomes visible — where Social Security taxation, capital gains bracket shifts, OBBB senior deduction phaseout, and IRMAA surcharges all stack on the same dollar, pushing marginal rates to 40–55%+. Bracket reference lines and your current conversion amount help you find the optimal stopping point.
Every year of the Projection table shows the Federal Bracket (the marginal bracket your last dollar of taxable income falls in, by filing status) and the Effective Fed Tax rate (federal tax ÷ AGI) — also in the CSV export. At a glance, see which bracket each year lands in once Social Security, RMDs, and conversions stack up, and the plan’s average federal rate.
Six strategy types to match how you actually think about conversions: Fixed Amount, Fill Tax Bracket, Smart Fill (IRMAA-Aware), Target Income (MAGI) Ceiling, % of Pre-Tax Balance, and Custom Schedule. Each shows only its relevant controls. Phased Brackets (sub-feature for Fill Tax Bracket and Smart Fill) lets you define different target brackets for different age ranges within your conversion window — useful for state-tax-driven moves where a different bracket makes sense before vs. after relocation. Impact Analysis gives an instant before/after comparison with a Conversion Advantage chart, Break-Even Tax Rate (BETR), and breakeven age. IRA basis tracking (Form 8606) for nondeductible contributions reduces taxable conversion amounts using the IRS pro-rata rule. Choose where conversion taxes come from — cash, brokerage, or IRA withholding — and see how it changes outcomes. ACA subsidy impact is tracked during pre-Medicare years. In-app guidance on the December conversion timing strategy: use IRS withholding to avoid estimated-tax penalties, with 60-day indirect rollover to maximize the amount reaching your Roth. Employer plan conversion gate: per-account opt-in for employer plans (401(k), 403(b), 457(b)) that don’t permit in-plan Roth rollovers while employed — the engine defers conversions from gated accounts until the primary or spouse retires (or a specific age), matching your plan’s actual rules. Gated balances are visible in the Optimizer and Strategy Report.
When spreading conversions over multiple years (a Roth Conversion Ladder), each year’s conversion starts its own 5-year clock before penalty-free access if under 59½. The tracker shows every conversion year, amount, and the exact age and calendar year each tranche becomes penalty-free. Color-coded status: green for mature, amber for conversions still under the 5-year/59½ dual requirement.
Voluntarily pull from pre-tax accounts (401k, Traditional IRA) during the low-bracket years between retirement and RMD onset to fill a target tax bracket. Pays tax at 12–22% now instead of 24%+ later when RMDs and Social Security stack. Three modes: Fixed Amount, Fill Tax Bracket, and Smart Fill (IRMAA-Aware). Proceeds reinvest into brokerage with full cost basis — heirs receive stepped-up basis at death. Stacks naturally with Roth conversions: Roth fills bracket room first, then drawdown fills the remainder. The Strategy Report Card automatically tests drawdown strategies and the combined Roth + Drawdown play.
All 50 states + DC modeled with their actual tax structure — progressive brackets for states like California, New York, and Oregon; flat rates for Illinois, Pennsylvania, and others; no tax for Florida, Texas, and 7 more. Social Security exemptions with age and income thresholds (e.g. Kansas exempts SS below $75K AGI). Retirement income exclusions for pensions and IRA/401k distributions with age gates (e.g. Pennsylvania exempts all retirement income at 60+, Illinois exempts it at any age). Filing status determines which bracket schedule applies where MFJ and single differ. The dropdown shows each state’s type and notes applicable retirement exemptions. Add a local or county income tax rate where your city taxes income on top of the state — wage-only states like Ohio and Pennsylvania apply it to earned income only — or set your own effective state rate to override the modeled one, both on the Assumptions tab.
When ordinary taxable income falls below the 0% long-term capital gains threshold ($98,900 MFJ / $49,450 single), the engine automatically “sells and rebuys” brokerage assets to step up cost basis at zero tax. Reduces future capital gains tax on withdrawals. IRMAA-aware — won’t harvest past the next Medicare surcharge threshold. Requires brokerage cost basis to be set. Visible in the Projection Table as a separate column.
Optional per-account field on brokerage accounts. Splits the existing return rate into a dividend portion (taxed annually as qualified at LTCG rates per IRC §1(h)(11), or as ordinary income at marginal rates) and a price-appreciation portion (unrealized until withdrawal). Reinvested dividends step up cost basis dollar-for-dollar (IRS Pub 550). Total return rate is unchanged — this is a tax/accounting split. Useful for accurately modeling MAGI, IRMAA, and NIIT when a brokerage account holds high-yield holdings.
Mark a brokerage dividend yield (or a recurring income stream) as tax-exempt municipal bond interest. Excluded from federal income tax (IRC §103) and the net investment income tax, yet still counted toward Social Security benefit taxation, Medicare IRMAA, and ACA subsidies — the way the real rules work. Pick the issuing state (or a national fund / U.S. territory) and an optional state-tax override; state exemption is resolved per year, so relocating correctly starts taxing previously-exempt interest. Capital gains on sale stay taxable.
Model estimated annual harvestable losses from your brokerage. Losses first offset realized capital gains dollar-for-dollar (IRC §1211), then up to $3,000/year of ordinary income (IRC §1211(b)), with unused losses carried forward indefinitely (IRC §1212(b)). Enter your estimated annual losses and any starting carry-forward balance from your most recent Schedule D. The Projection Table shows the offset applied each year and the running carry-forward balance.
When enabled, the engine compares your itemized deductions to the standard deduction each year and uses whichever saves more tax. Itemizable amounts: SALT (state/local + property tax, capped per current law — $40K through 2029 with MAGI phase-down, reverts to $10K in 2030), medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of AGI (IRC §213), and non-QCD charitable giving (capped at 60% of AGI). Senior additions and the OBBB deduction apply only to the standard deduction. The Projection Table shows which deduction the engine chose each year.
Instead of giving the same amount every year, contribute 2 or 3 years’ worth to a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) in a single year. In “bunch” years the large charitable deduction makes itemizing advantageous; in off years the standard deduction applies. Total lifetime giving is unchanged — only timing shifts. Works best with Itemized Deduction Comparison enabled. The Projection Table marks bunch years and the Strategy Report tests bunching as an alternative.
Model a deferred income annuity purchased inside your IRA or 401(k) to reduce RMDs. The purchase amount ($210K max for 2026 per SECURE 2.0; inflation-adjusted) leaves your pre-tax balance, lowering future Required Minimum Distributions. Guaranteed lifetime payouts begin at a chosen age (up to 85), fully taxable as ordinary income. QLAC balance included in net worth. The Strategy Report tests a max-premium QLAC for plans with large pre-tax balances.
Decide a one-time pension buyout against the guaranteed annuity. Compares after-tax present values at your assumed return, finds the break-even age, and applies either the annuity (pension entry) or the lump sum (taxable cash event) with one click — both editable afterward. Set the lump-sum taxable % to 0 for an IRA rollover.
Convert part of your portfolio into guaranteed lifetime income. Enter the premium and your insurer’s quote (payout rate or annual income), optional COLA, survivor option (life-only or joint), and taxable percentage; Purchase reduces the funding account and adds an immediate pension stream that stops at death or continues to a survivor. The §72(b) exclusion ratio governs the tax-free portion.
Model retirement plans whose money comes out over several years instead of all at once — most prominently TIAA Traditional, the classic “9 years and 1 day” contract (10 annual installments over a 9-year span, first payment immediate). Add a Gradual-Release Annuity account: enter the carrier rate (the guaranteed base plus dividend, not a market return), installments, first release age, and where each release goes — roll to your IRA tax-free, convert to Roth, spend, or move to brokerage. The locked balance is correctly not a lump-sum rollover: it is excluded from withdrawals and Roth conversions until released, its RMD share is satisfied from the contract itself, and it is exempt from Monte Carlo volatility. Rollover destinations are limited to schedules under 10 years per IRC §402(c)(4)(A), with an in-app warning. The same model covers stable-value funds and multi-year guaranteed annuities.
SSA-precise benefit calculations using exact monthly reduction and credit rates (5/9% and 5/12% early, 2/3% delayed per month). FRA computed in integer months per birth year. Side-by-side claiming comparison tables for ages 62–70 with breakeven analysis. Enter your own SSA statement amount for maximum accuracy.
When one spouse has a low or no earnings record, SSA provides a spousal benefit floor of up to 50% of the higher earner’s PIA. RetIQ automatically calculates this top-up and includes it in the projection. The floor is reduced if the lower-earning spouse claims before their own FRA (down to 32.5% at 62) and is not increased by delaying past FRA. Plan Health flags couples where the spousal benefit applies and shows the lifetime value.
Claim SS before FRA while still working? SSA withholds benefits based on earned income — $1/$2 above $24,480 (under FRA) or $1/$3 above $65,160 (FRA year). RetIQ models this per-person with inflation-indexed limits, SSDI exemption, and a dedicated SS W/H projection column. Net SS flows through taxes and withdrawals automatically.
Social Security Disability Insurance bridge with automatic conversion to retirement benefits at FRA. Independent SSDI for both spouses with taxable income integration and post-SSDI claiming comparison tables.
For the most precise Social Security estimate, enter your year-by-year earnings record instead of a single monthly benefit figure. RetIQ caps each year at the Social Security wage base, takes your highest 35 years, computes your AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings), and runs it through the SSA bend-point formula (90% / 32% / 15%) to derive your Primary Insurance Amount — a bottom-up calculation from your real wage history. Optional: the single-figure estimate still works if you prefer to enter the number straight from your SSA statement.
Social Security’s combined trust fund reserves are projected for depletion in the mid-2030s, after which payroll-tax revenue alone would cover only part of scheduled benefits unless Congress acts. This optional toggle models that contingency — choose the reduction percentage (default 20%) and the start year (default 2034), and the cut applies to Social Security retirement and survivor benefits, but not SSDI. It ripples through your plan as lower Social Security income, shifted federal tax and IRMAA exposure, and higher portfolio withdrawals to compensate. Off by default. It stress-tests a planning assumption rather than predicting an outcome.
Current IRMAA brackets modeled year by year using the 2-year MAGI lookback. Medicare premiums inflate at configurable medical cost inflation. Income-related surcharges from Roth conversions are tracked explicitly so you can see the real cost of aggressive conversions.
If you retire before 65, choose your coverage source: ACA Marketplace, Employer Retiree Plan, COBRA Continuation, Spouse’s Employer Plan, VA Healthcare, or Other. Each source has its own cost defaults (single vs. couple) and inflation rate. COBRA models a two-phase projection — COBRA period then automatic follow-up coverage. Spouse plan switches to follow-up when your spouse retires.
When you select ACA Marketplace, RetIQ dynamically calculates your premium tax credit based on projected MAGI each year. Uses 2025 enhanced rates (no income cliff) or 2026+ original ACA rules (400% FPL cliff) — selectable per plan. Configure household size, override the benchmark premium with your actual SLCSP from healthcare.gov, and see a live subsidy preview. Roth conversions, withdrawals, and SS income all affect your ACA premium through MAGI.
A visual map of where your money moves in any projection year, shown as a circular diagram of twelve domains — income, Social Security, accounts, withdrawals, RMDs, Roth conversions, taxes, expenses, ACA/healthcare, Medicare/IRMAA, cash flow, and survivor/legacy — with the flows between them drawn in proportion to the dollars. Click any node to see its breakdown, inflows, and outflows, and scrub through every year of the plan. On phones, a compact ring with a tappable legend shows the same numbers. Full mode.
A non-destructive lever board on the Dashboard’s chart card. Drag pre-tax, Roth, or brokerage balances, pension, spending, or expected return and RetIQ re-runs the full projection live, overlaying the what-if result (dashed) on your saved plan (solid). Pick up to three metrics to compare at once — net worth, tax, RMDs, income, expenses, withdrawals, or Roth balance — to watch one change ripple across several dimensions, with end-of-plan deltas and a “money lasts to” readout below. Your saved plan is never touched; Reset restores it. Simple and Full mode.
Three simulation models: Normal (Bell Curve) for standard analysis, Historical Bootstrap (1928–2024) resampling actual US market returns and inflation, and Stress Test (Fat-Tailed) for extreme-event resilience testing. Up to 2,000 scenarios per model with percentile outcomes (10th/50th/90th), success probability, and worst-case analysis. Run all three to see how your plan holds up across gentle, realistic, and severe market conditions. Also shows Funded to Age — the age through which your plan maintains your chosen confidence level (80–95%), giving an intuitive longevity answer alongside the success percentage.
12 named scenarios in a grouped dropdown: six retirement ages (40, 50, 60, 62, 67, 70), two SS timing options (62, 70), and four expense/return stress tests. Multi-category chart lets you compare any metric across all scenarios at once. Dedicated stress-test cards for Bear Market, Healthcare Inflation, and Relocation — the Relocation card models moving to a new state, selling your home, and adjusting spending in one interactive view, with read-only before/after comparison.
Hold months of expenses (or a fixed amount or % of portfolio) in cash and let RetIQ maintain it: the buffer is spent from first, refilled from the portfolio each year (taxable first), and surplus over target is deployed to brokerage tax-free. An optional cap — the lesser of the target and a % of your total portfolio, re-evaluated at each year's value — keeps the buffer from becoming a drag as the portfolio grows or shrinks. Refills are recognized in-year (pre-tax refills before 59½ incur the 10% early-withdrawal penalty). Dashboard shows months covered vs. target; the Projection table adds Buffer Tgt / Refill / Deploy columns; the Cash Drag suggestion respects your buffer target. The deterministic projection shows the buffer's cost; Monte Carlo shows the sequence-of-returns protection.
Models a market crash against investment accounts only, scaled by your actual equity allocation — cash, Social Security, and pension unaffected. Set crash severity, onset year, and recovery duration to see how a downturn at any point in retirement affects your plan. Comparison chart shows baseline vs. crashed outcomes side by side.
Two-dimensional strategy matrix. Goal tabs across the top (Max Net Worth, Min Taxes, Min Tax+IRMAA, Max SS Income, Max Tax-Free Legacy) and category tabs down the side (SS Timing, Roth, Drawdown, Combined, Retirement Age, Tax Optimization, Asset Allocation). Pick a goal to see only the strategies that improve it, ranked best-first — worse-than-current results are hidden as noise — with Δ deltas and one-click Apply that re-runs the report for the same goal so you can stack improvements. A green dot shows which category has the best option. Cross-tab insights link to the overall best when it’s in another category. Reset to Original reverts all experiments. Tests 10+ strategies including SS timing (62, FRA, 70), Roth Smart Fill (22%, 24%), Tax-Aware Drawdown, combined plays, delayed retirement, cash reallocation, and relocation. SSDI-aware.
Dashboard card that monitors whether your active strategy is still optimal as your portfolio evolves. Save a check-in snapshot, then update your balances when reality changes. The card detects portfolio growth or decline, identifies if a different strategy now leads, and alerts you to approaching milestones — RMD start, Medicare, conversion window closing, SS claiming age. Three states: On Track (no action needed), Worth Reviewing (strategy ranking shifted), or Milestone Alert (decision point approaching). One-click to update your snapshot or jump to the Strategy Report Card.
One-click export of your Dashboard as a printable one-page summary. Includes projection health verdict, key metrics, lifetime totals, active strategies, Monte Carlo results, maximum spending, highest-impact areas (including cash drag detection), and the top Strategy Report Card opportunity. Timestamped in Eastern Time. No personal information collected or included — fully private.
Finds the highest sustainable retirement spending (today’s dollars, inflation-adjusted) that keeps your money lasting through your end age. Uses binary search across the full projection engine — accounts for taxes, RMDs, IRMAA, Roth conversions, Social Security, and all other factors. Useful for “Die With Zero” analysis or understanding your spending ceiling.
Dashboard card with a Working / Retirement tab toggle showing the current year and (when retirement is within 5 years) a retirement preview. Each tab shows income, taxes, and expenses with info icons for contextual notes. Retirement tab includes an Account Transfers section for Roth conversions and Tax-Aware Drawdown (marked “does not affect totals”), standalone Healthcare line, dimmed zero-value rows, and a Net Annual Cash Flow bar showing surplus or portfolio drawdown rate.
Dedicated tab for planning around the death of either spouse, with three sub-tabs. Overview: Longevity check (pressure points if both live long), Three Futures comparison table, and full impact analysis with charts for net worth, Social Security, and tax burden — plus life insurance adequacy assessment. Strategies: Survivor Strategy Report Card testing 10–15 alternatives (including survivor SS claim age and expense sensitivity) ranked by your goal, plus a Robust vs Fragile table showing which decisions hold up in both futures. Adopt Plan: Restructure your plan for single-person planning in either direction — “spouse passed” for your own re-planning, or “you pass first” to prepare an optimized roadmap your spouse can follow. Auto-backup with one-click restore. After adoption, every tool in the app optimizes for the survivor.
Step-by-step walkthroughs for the most complex analyses in RetIQ — the ones that span multiple tabs and require a specific sequence to get right. Fifteen guided workflows across seven categories (some appear only when relevant to your plan): Pre-Retirement (plan a career wind-down), Tax Strategy (find and fill your tax valley, optimize Roth conversions, use QCDs, coordinate dual-owner RMDs, apply the Joint Life RMD election, plan around an inherited IRA), Healthcare (coordinate ACA subsidies with Roth and withdrawal order), Portfolio & Spending (customize withdrawal order, optimize cash allocation), Stress Testing (end-to-end plan validation), Survivor Planning (understand survivor risk, prepare your spouse’s roadmap, choose pension survivor benefit), and Legacy & Heirs (optimize after-tax inheritance). Each workflow has numbered steps, navigation cues, and checkpoint prompts so you know you’re on track. Pro + Full mode only.
Set a target inheritance amount and see a full composition breakdown of what your heirs actually inherit. A stacked bar and per-account detail show pre-tax (subject to SECURE Act 10-year distribution), Roth (tax-free to heirs), and taxable accounts (stepped-up cost basis). An after-tax estimate uses a configurable heir tax bracket (10–32%), and a Roth conversion comparison shows how much more your heirs would keep if you convert now. The Inherited IRA 10-Year Distribution Model shows exactly what the SECURE Act means for your heirs: year-by-year distributions, tax at the selected bracket, net cash received, and a Roth comparison showing the tax savings of converting now. When life insurance death benefits are received, the legacy composition annotates the insurance contribution to the taxable account balance. Dashboard metric tracks goal progress with dominant-account-type hint.
Separate expense inputs for working years and retirement with independent inflation rates. Pre-retirement expenses flow through full cash flow modeling (income minus expenses, savings, and taxes) with automatic shortfall detection. Post-retirement offers four withdrawal modes: Fixed Amount (inflation-adjusted), % of Portfolio (classic 4% rule), Variable Percentage Withdrawal (VPW) — a rising withdrawal rate tied to remaining plan years that auto-adjusts to market performance with an optional spending floor, and Guyton-Klinger Guardrails — an inflation-adjusted base with automatic raises and cuts when your withdrawal rate drifts outside configurable bands.
Spending patterns change through retirement. Model the common pattern: full spending in active early retirement, reduced spending in your mid-70s, then increased costs in your 80s+ as healthcare needs grow. Fully configurable age boundaries and spending percentages.
70% of people over 65 will need some form of long-term care. Model annual LTC costs (nursing home, assisted living, or home aide), start age, duration, and LTC-specific inflation. If you have LTC insurance, enter your annual coverage with inflation protection rider (none, 2%, 3%, or 5% compound) and policy purchase age. The engine inflates your insurance benefit over time to match how real policies work, giving you an accurate net out-of-pocket projection.
Model mortgages, loans, alimony, and other obligations with optional amortization. Enter a remaining balance and interest rate for any debt and the engine tracks principal paydown year by year, computes the interest/principal split, and stops payments automatically at payoff. Each debt card shows payoff age, total interest, and a principal vs. interest breakdown. Fixed-payment mode (no balance) works for obligations like alimony. Two dedicated Projection chart categories — Debt Interest and Debt Principal Paid — visualize the paydown schedule.
Control exactly where your pre-retirement savings go. Specify your 401(k) deferral amount and type (Traditional or Roth), IRA contribution amount and type, with the remainder flowing to brokerage. IRS limits and catch-up contributions (including SECURE 2.0 enhanced catch-up for ages 60–63) are enforced automatically. Employer match is always calculated against your 401(k) deferral and deposited to Traditional Pre-Tax. Available in Full mode — Simple mode uses an automatic 60/25/15 split. If you also enter a 401(k) deferral in the Income tab’s W-2 breakdown, RetIQ flags when the two disagree and offers a one-tap 401(k) or Roth account when you’re contributing without one.
Model charitable giving with Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs after age 70½. QCDs count toward RMDs without adding to taxable income — a powerful tax strategy. Supports simple fixed annual giving or a flexible multi-phase schedule with age ranges and percentage-of-income options. Non-QCD giving flows into the Itemized Deduction Comparison automatically. DAF Bunching option concentrates multiple years of giving for maximum deduction value.
Model defined-benefit pensions, military retirement, or annuities for both spouses independently. Per-pension COLA rates, survivor benefit options (single life, joint & 50/75/100%), and configurable taxable percentage for military disability or after-tax contributions. Plan Health flags single-life pensions as a survivor risk.
The triple-tax-advantaged account: contributions reduce taxable income, growth is tax-free, and qualified medical withdrawals are tax-free at any age. After 65, non-medical withdrawals are treated like a Traditional IRA. No RMDs. RetIQ models HSA contributions (with current limits and catch-up), growth, qualified vs. non-qualified withdrawals, state-level HSA deduction rules (CA, AL, NJ, WI do not allow the deduction), and MAGI impact for ACA and IRMAA.
When enabled, savings respect annual 401(k), IRA, and HSA limits ($24,500 / $7,500 / $4,400–$8,750 + catch-up in 2026) with age 50+ catch-up and SECURE 2.0 age 60–63 super catch-up provisions. Any savings beyond the limits overflow to brokerage accounts automatically.
Model multiple simultaneous income sources beyond employment: rental income, consulting, dividends, royalties, part-time work, or any recurring cash flow. Each stream has its own annual amount, date range, inflation rate, tax treatment (ordinary income, qualified dividend at LTCG rates, non-qualified dividend, or tax-exempt municipal interest), and person attribution (primary, spouse, or joint). Qualified dividends are taxed at 0%/15%/20% and included in NIIT. Streams with inflation grow annually — perfect for rental income at 2–3% growth. Replaces the single Additional Income field with unlimited streams.
Schedule C / SMLLC / partnership net earnings flow through SE tax (IRC §1401: 12.4% OASDI on net × 0.9235 capped at the SS wage base, plus 2.9% Medicare uncapped), the half-of-SE-tax deduction (IRC §164(f)), and AGI/MAGI — affecting federal tax, IRMAA, ACA subsidies, and SS taxation. Wage base shared correctly with W-2 income per IRC §1402(b)(2). Business losses (negative net earnings) reduce AGI for the year with no SE tax owed.
Guided setup for federal retirement. Computes the FERS annuity (1.0% of high-3 per year, 1.1% at 62+ with 20+ years, 1.7% for the first 20 special-category years) or CSRS annuity (1.5%/1.75%/2.0% tiers, 80% cap), the MRA+10 5%-per-year reduction, the FERS Special Retirement Supplement (years ÷ 40 × age-62 Social Security, paid to just before 62, no COLA), survivor election costs (50%→10%, 25%→5% of the unreduced annuity), and the Simplified-Method taxable percentage (IRC §72(d)). Writes a government-source pension (handled correctly by NY/HI/MA/OR state tax), the SRS stream, and your annual-leave lump sum into the plan — all editable afterward.
20% deduction on Qualified Business Income for self-employed users, with SSTB phaseout, sole-prop W-2 limit assumption, household taxable-income cap (20% of taxable minus net capital gain), and the OBBBA $400 minimum deduction. 2026 thresholds per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (post-OBBBA $150K MFJ / $75K Single phase-in extension). Roth conversion delta and Tax-Aware Drawdown bracket-room math both correctly account for QBI per-baseline.
Self-employed users get full Solo 401(k) modeling: employee elective deferral (Traditional or Roth) with §402(g) cross-plan aggregation against W-2 401(k); employer profit-share up to 20% of (net SE − half-SE-tax) per IRC §404(a)(8); §415(c) annual addition cap on combined employee + employer; age-based catch-up including SECURE 2.0 §109 enhanced catch-up for ages 60–63 ($11,250 in 2026). Traditional contributions correctly reduce AGI and QBI; Roth employee preserves QBI; Roth employer reduces QBI per IRS Notice 2024-2 Q&A L9.
Select SEP-IRA from the Retirement Plan dropdown on the Self-Employed card. SEP-IRA is the simplest of the three self-employment retirement plans — employer contributions only, no employee deferral, minimal administration. The contribution is up to 20% of (net SE earnings − half-SE-tax) for sole proprietors, or 25% of W-2 salary for S-corp owners, capped at the §415(c) annual addition limit ($72,000 in 2026). Choose Traditional or Roth — SECURE 2.0 §601 permits Roth SEP-IRA treatment. Traditional contributions reduce QBI; Roth contributions reduce QBI without reducing AGI (IRS Notice 2024-2 Q&A L9). A good fit when administrative simplicity matters more than maximizing tax-advantaged saving.
Select SIMPLE-IRA from the Retirement Plan dropdown for a plan with lower limits than a Solo 401(k) but a simpler employer structure. Employee deferral: up to $17,000 in 2026 plus age-based catch-up (+$4,000 ages 50–59 and 64+, +$5,250 ages 60–63 per SECURE 2.0 §109), Traditional or Roth, aggregating with any W-2 401(k) under the §402(g) overall limit. Employer contribution: choose a 3% dollar-for-dollar match or a 2% non-elective contribution of SE earnings. The compensation base is net SE earnings per IRC §1402(a) — not reduced by the half-SE-tax deduction — so the employer base runs slightly higher than a Solo 401(k) at the same earnings. Traditional deferrals reduce QBI; Roth deferrals preserve it.
If your Solo 401(k) plan document permits voluntary after-tax contributions and in-plan Roth conversions, the Mega Backdoor Roth strategy fills your remaining §415(c) headroom with after-tax dollars and immediately converts them to Roth. The after-tax amount equals the §415(c) annual addition limit ($72,000 in 2026) — or your plan compensation, if lower — minus your employee deferral and employer profit-share. Enter a dollar cap, or leave it at $0 for the engine to auto-maximize. The conversion is modeled tax-free, assuming immediate conversion with negligible earnings. Plan support varies — major brokerages’ off-the-shelf Solo 401(k) plans typically don’t allow after-tax contributions, while specialty providers draft custom plan documents that do.
An optional breakdown that mirrors your actual W-2. Instead of a single gross-salary number, enter the components — gross wages, Section 125 cafeteria-plan deductions, pre-tax HSA, and Traditional vs. Roth 401(k) — and the engine reproduces W-2 Boxes 1, 3, and 5 correctly, so your federal income tax base and your FICA base are computed separately rather than from one figure. This sharpens AGI, MAGI, and payroll-tax accuracy for anyone with meaningful pre-tax payroll deductions. Fully opt-in — the single salary field still works unchanged — and it works with phase-based income, so the same person can model a W-2-to-consulting career transition with correct tax treatment in each phase.
Two event types: Asset Sales (home, investment property) with gross amount, selling costs, cost basis, and IRC §121 primary home exclusion ($250K/$500K) — capital gains taxed automatically. Ordinary Income events (severance, signing bonus, inheritance, lawsuit settlement) taxed at marginal rate. Both types support person attribution (primary, spouse, joint) and deposit to brokerage or cash/HYS. Multiple events across different ages.
Model term and permanent life insurance policies. Premiums are added to annual expenses while the policy is active. Tax-free death benefits (IRC §101) deposit into the survivor's brokerage account when the insured dies. Integrates with legacy composition to show how insurance shifts your heir's inheritance mix. Term policies expire at a set age; permanent policies provide coverage until death. Supports multiple policies per person and spousal policies.
Export your entire plan as a self-contained HTML file with all inputs, charts, and projections. It opens in any browser without the app — perfect for archiving, printing, or sharing with a financial advisor. When you load a saved snapshot, a dashboard banner shows the filename and date so you always know which version you’re viewing.
Save your plan as JSON with an optional password lock. The file is encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM and a PBKDF2-derived key — the same standard password managers use — with no recovery by design: no one, including us, can open it without your password.
Download the full year-by-year projection table as CSV for your own analysis in Excel or Google Sheets. Every column — income, taxes, withdrawals, Cash/HYS balance, Brokerage balance, HSA balance, Pre-Tax balance, Roth balance, RMDs, IRMAA, cash interest — is included.
Interactive charts with selectable categories — choose up to 6 at once from net worth, earned income, Social Security, SSDI, expenses, federal tax, state tax, withdrawals, RMDs, Roth conversions, Tax-Aware Drawdown, TAD tax cost, IRMAA, pensions, other income, qualified dividends, healthcare, liabilities, debt interest, debt principal, LTC, charity, MAGI, cash interest, life insurance, and individual account balances (Pre-Tax, Roth, HSA, Cash/HYS, Brokerage, Inherited IRA, and Inherited Roth). The data table includes HSA balance and HSA contributions columns. Toggle the table on and off.
Install RetIQ as a standalone app on desktop or mobile. Works offline after installation. All data stays on your device and auto-saves between sessions.
Zero telemetry. No accounts. No cloud sync. Your financial data never leaves your browser. The entire application runs client-side JavaScript with no backend dependencies beyond payment processing. A strict Content Security Policy is browser-enforced.
Lost your license key? Recover it directly from the Activate dialog by entering the email you used at checkout. Your key is emailed to you securely — never displayed on screen. Rate-limited and anti-enumeration protected.
Tax brackets, Medicare premiums, Social Security parameters, contribution limits, and poverty guidelines are monitored weekly from official IRS, SSA, CMS, and HHS sources. When new figures are published, they're verified and delivered automatically on your next visit — no app reinstall needed. Embedded defaults serve as a fallback when offline.
Every financial calculation is validated against authoritative sources: IRS publications, SSA actuarial tables, CMS Medicare data, SECURE 2.0 Act, and OBBB Act 2025. The standalone Validation Report displays 3,700+ automated tests with formula blocks showing the exact math and statutory citations. Regulatory data is live-updated between releases.
A built-in share button uses your device's native share sheet (on mobile) or copies a link to your clipboard (on desktop). Help someone else plan their retirement — it's one click away.
3,700+ automated tests verify every calculation against authoritative sources — IRS publications, SSA tables, CMS Medicare data, SECURE Act 2.0 rules, and ACA subsidy tables. Each category includes a formula block showing the exact math the engine implements, its statutory basis, and links to source documents. The full report is available at retirementiq.app/validation.html or via the … menu in the app. 100% pass rate.
Set the priority for which accounts fund retirement spending using a 5-bucket system: Cash/HYS, HSA, Brokerage, Pre-Tax, and Roth. Reorder with arrow buttons in the Assumptions tab. Phase Schedule: add age-based phases to change the withdrawal order at different stages of retirement — for example, draw pre-tax first during ages 58–60 for Roth conversion room, then switch to Roth-first during ages 61–65 to control ACA MAGI. Years not covered by any phase use the default order. The engine handles RMDs and tax implications automatically regardless of order.
13 pre-written answers covering the most common retirement planning questions — Roth conversions, IRMAA, Social Security timing, stress testing, survivor planning, legacy, healthcare, and more. Each answer cites your actual plan numbers and walks you through the app step by step. Instant, offline, no AI model needed.
For questions beyond the templates, connect your own API key from Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), Google (Gemini), Perplexity, Meta (Llama), Groq, DeepSeek, or Mistral. The AI receives your plan summary and every RetIQ feature description, so it can answer accurately about your specific situation. Your key stays in your browser — RetIQ never sees it.
The Guide’s welcome screen analyzes your plan and shows personalized suggestions based on your actual data: high pre-tax balance with no Roth strategy, significant IRMAA surcharges, single-life pension with a spouse, early retirement without healthcare, or a plan that runs short. Tap any suggestion for an instant detailed answer.
API keys are stored locally in your browser. Plan data is sent to your chosen provider only when you ask a question, through a stateless Cloudflare Worker proxy that never stores, logs, or inspects your key or data. Without cloud AI enabled, all computation stays 100% local. The Guided Workflows remain available as a non-AI alternative for step-by-step planning.
Choose from five themes — Dawn (the warm RetIQ default), Sepia, Dusk, Dark, and Light. Your preference is saved automatically. All five themes are designed for extended reading of financial data.
Colorblind-friendly palette, responsive layout for mobile and desktop, interactive chart hover tooltips, and monospace projection tables for easy number scanning.
ⓘ icons next to key fields explain retirement jargon in plain language. Hover on desktop, tap on mobile. Covers account types, Social Security claiming, Roth conversion strategies, RMDs, Medicare surcharges, and withdrawal order.