IRA calculator.
See what a Roth or Traditional IRA could grow to. Enter your age, balance, yearly contribution and an expected return to project the value at retirement and split it into contributions and growth.
Project your IRA
LiveProjected IRA value
$1,240,721
at age 65
A planning model with steady assumptions. Estimate for planning, not financial advice. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is stored.
How it works
How your IRA grows
The calculator grows your current balance and adds your yearly contribution, compounding at your expected return until retirement age. The grey band is the money you put in; the green band is the growth on top. A Roth and a Traditional IRA grow the same way here; the difference is when you are taxed.
Putting in $7,500 a year from age 30 to 65 on top of a $10,000 balance, at a 7% return, projects to about $1.24 million. Most of that is growth, not the roughly $272,500 you actually contribute, which is the case for starting early.
Make it count
Get the most from an IRA.
Max the limit
For 2026 you can put in $7,500, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older. Contributing the full amount each year does the heavy lifting.
Roth or Traditional
Roth is funded with after-tax money and grows tax-free; Traditional may be deductible now and is taxed at withdrawal. Pick the one that fits your tax picture.
Start early
Because growth compounds, an IRA opened in your twenties can finish far ahead of one started a decade later.
By age
Your IRA, year by year.
Each row is one year: your age, the total you have contributed, the growth so far, and the projected balance. Growth quietly overtakes contributions the longer the money stays invested.
| Age | Contributions | Growth | Balance |
|---|
The full guide
The complete IRA guide.
What an IRA is, how Roth and Traditional differ, the 2026 limits, and the rules worth knowing before you contribute.
What an IRA is
An IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is a tax-advantaged account you open yourself to invest for retirement. Inside it your money can grow without yearly tax on the gains, which is what makes an IRA grow faster than the same money in a normal taxable account. You choose the investments, usually funds or stocks, and the account does the rest.
Anyone with earned income can contribute, up to the annual limit. It works alongside a workplace plan like a 401(k), and many people use both.
Roth versus Traditional IRA
The two main types differ on when you are taxed. A Roth IRA is funded with money you have already paid tax on, then grows and is withdrawn tax-free in retirement. A Traditional IRA may be deductible the year you contribute, grows tax-deferred, and is taxed as income when you withdraw.
Roth tends to suit people who expect to be in the same or a higher tax bracket later, or who like the certainty of tax-free withdrawals. Traditional can suit those who want the deduction now. The growth projection on this page is the same either way; the difference is the tax you pay around it.
2026 contribution limits
For 2026 you can contribute up to $7,500 to your IRAs, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older, thanks to a $1,100 catch-up. That total is shared across all your IRAs combined, not per account. High earners may have a reduced or phased-out Roth limit, and Traditional deductibility can phase out if you or a spouse have a workplace plan.
Contributions for a tax year can usually be made up to the tax-filing deadline the following spring, which gives you a little extra time to top up.
When you can withdraw
Retirement accounts reward leaving the money alone. In general, withdrawing before age 59 and a half can trigger income tax plus a 10% penalty, with some exceptions. Roth contributions, the money you put in, can usually be taken out at any time without penalty, but the growth has its own rules.
Traditional IRAs also have required minimum distributions later in life, when you must start drawing the money down. Roth IRAs do not have those during the original owner’s lifetime, which is part of their appeal.
IRA versus 401(k)
A 401(k) is offered through an employer, often with a match, and has a much higher contribution limit. An IRA you open on your own, with more investment choice but a lower limit. They are not either-or: a common plan is to contribute enough to a 401(k) to get the full employer match, then fund an IRA, then return to the 401(k) if you have more to invest.
Use the 401(k) calculator for the workplace side and this page for the IRA side to see the combined picture.
Common IRA mistakes
The frequent ones are not contributing at all, leaving the cash uninvested inside the IRA so it never grows, going over the annual limit, and picking the wrong type for your tax situation. Another is forgetting that the limit is shared across all your IRAs, not per account.
None are hard to avoid. Contribute what you can, invest it, stay within the limit, and let it compound.
The formula
Tax-advantaged,
compounded.
Your IRA value is the future value of your balance plus every contribution, each one compounding tax-free or tax-deferred until you retire.
See the retirement calculator ›# Projected IRA value
FV = B(1+i)ⁿ + (C/12) × [ ((1+i)ⁿ − 1) / i ]
# where
B = current balance
C = annual contribution
i = return / 12
n = months to retirement
# worked example
$10k + $7,500/yr, 7%, age 30 to 65 → ~$1.24MQuestions
IRA questions.
How much can I contribute to an IRA in 2026?
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For 2026 the limit is $7,500 across all your IRAs combined, or $8,600 if you are 50 or older thanks to a $1,100 catch-up. High earners may face a reduced Roth limit or Traditional deduction phase-out.
Should I choose a Roth or Traditional IRA?
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A Roth is funded with after-tax money and grows tax-free; a Traditional may be deductible now and is taxed at withdrawal. Roth often suits people who expect equal or higher taxes later. The growth is the same here; the tax timing differs.
Can I have both an IRA and a 401(k)?
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Yes. Many people contribute to a workplace 401(k), often up to the employer match, and also fund an IRA. The IRA limit is separate from the 401(k) limit, though they each have their own rules.
When can I withdraw from my IRA?
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Generally at age 59 and a half without penalty. Earlier withdrawals can trigger income tax plus a 10% penalty, with some exceptions. Roth contributions can usually be withdrawn anytime, but the growth has its own rules.
Is this IRA calculator free and private?
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Yes. It is completely free with no sign-up, and every calculation runs locally in your browser, so nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
About the developer
Jean Borg
Jean builds and maintains every calculator on freecalculators.pro from Malta, with a focus on tools that are fast, free and show their working. The IRA calculator uses standard future-value maths and the 2026 IRS limits, and is provided for planning and education, not as personalised tax or financial advice.