Solara

The page opens with typical US figures for a 25-year-old planning to retire at 65. They are a neutral starting point, not a forecast or a recommendation. Replace them with your own numbers.

• Starting portfolio $10,000. Between the median 401(k) balance for workers under 25 ($2,234) and ages 25 to 34 ($18,732) (Vanguard, How America Saves 2026).
• Contribution $7,000/yr. About 11.7% of the $60,320 median full-time pay for ages 25 to 34 (BLS, Q2 2026), using Vanguard’s average total savings rate including employer contributions (11.7%, 2023). Held flat, since the model does not grow it.
• Return 7%, fee 0.40%, inflation 3%. The return is a planning assumption for a diversified portfolio. The fee is the average US equity mutual fund expense ratio (ICI, 2025). Inflation sits between the Fed’s 2% target and the current 3.4% (BLS, August 2026).
• Withdrawal $65,000 in the first year of retirement. The gap between about 75% of median pay and the average Social Security retired-worker benefit ($2,075/month, SSA, January 2026), about $20,000 in today’s dollars, grown by 40 years of inflation. The model does not include Social Security itself.
• 25 years of retirement covers ages 65 to 90.