🌅 Retirement Planning — 401k, NPS, PPF, SIPP & FIRE Guides
10 expert guides · Free calculators included
10
Articles
6
Free Calculators
5–15 min
Reading Time
2026
Updated
401k, NPS, PPF, SIPP, FIRE -- plan your retirement. Step-by-step guides with worked examples and free calculators.
What You Will Learn in Retirement Planning
Most people overestimate how much they need to retire and underestimate how early they could do it. The truth is that retirement planning is entirely a math problem: corpus needed = annual expenses × (1 / safe withdrawal rate). At the 4% rule, ₹1 lakh/month expenses requires ₹3 crore.
These guides cover retirement planning for India (NPS, PPF, EPF), USA (401k, Roth IRA, Social Security), and UK (SIPP, workplace pension, ISA). Each guide includes worked examples with specific numbers and links to the calculator so you can model your own scenario.
The FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) has a dedicated section because retiring at 40–50 is increasingly achievable for people who start early and optimize savings rate.
🧮 Free Calculators in This Category
Every guide links to one of these — run your own numbers.
Retirement Calculator
How much corpus to retire comfortably
OpenFIRE Calculator
FIRE number and early retirement timeline
OpenNPS Calculator
National Pension System corpus estimator
OpenPPF Calculator
PPF maturity and tax benefit calculator
Open401k Calculator
US retirement savings growth estimator
OpenUK Pension
SIPP and workplace pension calculator
Open📚 All Retirement Planning Articles (10)
How Much Do You Need to Retire? The Real Numbers for 2026
To retire at 60 with ₹80,000/month income (today's value), you need a ₹2.4-3.2 crore corpus. Here is the exact formula, common mistakes, and how to build it with just ₹15,000/month.
FIRE Movement India 2026: How to Retire at 40 With ₹5 Crore
FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is not just for Americans. Indians in their 30s are building ₹3-6 crore corpus and retiring in their 40s. Here is the exact formula, numbers, and step-by-step plan.
401k vs Roth IRA 2026: Which Makes You Richer at Retirement?
A $500/month Roth IRA started at 25 grows to $1.1 million tax-free by 65. A traditional 401k grows to $1.4M but you pay taxes on withdrawal. Here is the complete comparison with real numbers for 2026.
Best Free Retirement Calculators USA 2026 -- 401k, Roth IRA & FIRE
The most accurate retirement projections account for employer match, 2026 IRS limits, Social Security, and inflation. Here's what to use for 401k, Roth IRA, and FIRE planning in 2026.
How Much Should You Have Saved for Retirement by Age? (2026 USA Benchmarks)
Fidelity says 1x salary by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, 10x by 67. But these benchmarks assume average income. Here is what the numbers actually look like for every salary level.
Roth IRA vs 401k: Which is Better for Your Tax Situation in 2026?
In the 22% bracket now and expect 24% in retirement? Choose Roth. In the 32% bracket now and expect to drop to 22% in retirement? Choose Traditional. Here is the full framework.
How to Maximize Your 401k in 2026: Contribution Limits, Match Strategies & Roth vs Traditional
The 2026 401k limit is $23,500 ($31,000 if 50+). But contributing enough to get your employer match first is the #1 priority -- it's a guaranteed 50-100% return. Here's the complete maximization guide.
When to Claim Social Security in 2026: Age 62 vs 67 vs 70 -- The Real Math
Claiming at 62 gives $1,500/month. Waiting until 70 gives $2,640/month. The break-even age is 79.5. If you live past 80, waiting to 70 pays more. Here's the complete claiming strategy.
FIRE Calculator USA 2026: Exactly How Much You Need to Retire Early at Any Age
To retire at 45 on $60,000/year, you need $1,500,000 (25x annual expenses -- the 4% rule). Here's the exact math, the savings rate needed by age, and the 3 types of FIRE.
HSA: The Best Retirement Account You're Not Using (2026 Contribution Limits & Strategy)
The HSA is the only account in America with a triple tax advantage: pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for medical. In 2026, you can contribute $4,300 ($8,550 for families). Here's how to maximize it.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed answers to the most common questions in this category — with real numbers and examples.
📖 Topics Covered in Retirement Planning
how much money do I need to retire in India 2026
NPS vs PPF which is better for retirement India
how to calculate retirement corpus step by step
FIRE movement India how to retire at 40
401k vs Roth IRA which is better for young investors
how much to save per month to retire at 50 India
EPF vs NPS difference which gives better returns
UK pension SIPP vs ISA which is better 2026
what is the 4 percent rule for retirement
how to calculate FIRE number for India
All topics above are covered in the guides in this category, with free calculators for each.