Frequently asked questions
How much corpus do I need to retire in India?
A common rule of thumb is 25–30× your annual post-retirement expenses, in future rupees. So if you expect ₹60,000/month today and retire in 25 years at 6% inflation, the first year of retirement will cost ~₹31L — and you'd need roughly ₹7.7 Cr at retirement. The calculator does this for you in real time.
Will my SIP last through retirement?
Five inputs decide this: monthly SIP, pre-retirement return, post-retirement return, inflation and life expectancy. Plug in conservative numbers (lower returns, higher inflation) and see if your money still lasts. If it does, you're robust to bad outcomes.
What return rate should I assume?
Pre-retirement: 11–12% for equity-heavy portfolios, 8–9% for balanced. Post-retirement: 7–9% for a 30/70 debt-equity mix. Don't model 15% — markets are mean-reverting and you don't want to be wrong about your retirement.
What inflation rate should I use?
6% is a good baseline for India. Use 7% if your retirement plans include international travel, premium healthcare, or private school grandkids.
Is this calculator really free? Where does my data go?
Yes, free, no sign-up. All calculations happen in your browser. Nothing — not your age, savings, or income — is sent to any server. Open DevTools and check; reload the page and everything is gone.
Does it support FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)?
Absolutely. Set retirement age to 40 or 45, set life expectancy to 90, and check whether the math works. FIRE in India typically requires saving 50%+ of post-tax income with disciplined equity exposure.
Can I model SIP step-up (annual increase)?
Yes — the "SIP step-up" field lets you increase your monthly contribution by a fixed % every year. Even a 5% annual step-up dramatically reduces shortfall.
Why is healthcare inflated separately at 10%?
India's medical inflation has run at ~10–14% for the last decade — roughly double general CPI. Hospital bills, insurance premiums, and chronic-care medication all compound much faster than groceries. Lumping healthcare into the general 6–8% inflation bucket consistently under-projects retirement needs by 20–30%. This calculator separates it so the silent killer is visible.
What is "annual top-up" and when do I use it?
Beyond your monthly SIP, you can add a fixed lump every year — a bonus, RSU vest, freelance income, or tax refund redirected to your retirement bucket. The top-up is added at the end of each year of the accumulation phase and compounds with everything else. Even a ₹1L annual top-up moves the needle hard over 25 years.
What is the "Magic Year"?
The Magic Year is the point in your accumulation timeline where your corpus growth (returns) exceeds your contributions in that year — i.e., your money is now earning more than you're saving. After the Magic Year, you're effectively along for the compounding ride. For a 25-year-old starting a ₹20k SIP at 12%, this typically arrives around year 12–14.
What does "wealth multiplier" mean?
It's the ratio of corpus at retirement divided by total amount you invested. A 5× multiplier means every rupee you put in became five at retirement. Long horizons + equity returns + step-up are what push this number up.
What is the 4% rule and does it apply in India?
The 4% rule (Trinity Study) says you can safely withdraw 4% of your corpus in year one and adjust for inflation, with high probability of not running out over 30 years. India's higher inflation makes 3–3.5% safer for very long retirements (40+ years).
Why does "starting 10 years late" cost so much more?
Compounding is exponential — the last decade of accumulation does most of the heavy lifting. Skipping the first 10 years doesn't cost you 10/30 of the corpus; it costs you roughly 60–70%. The "Cost of starting 10 yrs late" card shows the exact extra monthly SIP a hypothetical late-starter would need to reach the same plan you've entered.