What did I actually save this year?

The annual savings tally. Enter what goes in on whatever schedule it runs — weekly auto-invest, monthly loan payment, annual lump — and the tally annualizes it, computes your retirement savings rate under the standard definition, and plots it against the benchmark for your career stage. The benchmark calculator says what the rate should be; this one says what it was.

For education and entertainment only, not financial advice. A tally is a mirror, not a plan; the plan gets written with your own numbers and, where it is complicated, a fee-only fiduciary advisor.

Your answers are not saved by this tool.

step 1

Income and stage

Gross household income per year before tax, all earners

Where are you in your career? two earners in different stages? run both and use the higher benchmark

step 2 — counts toward the rate

Retirement savings, on whatever schedule it runs

The standard definition counts money saved for retirement against gross income. Three rows count. Enter 0 where nothing goes in; pick the schedule each transfer actually runs on.

step 3 — tracked, not counted

Real progress that the rate definition excludes

These dollars matter — they are just answers to different questions than retirement. Optional; each row says why it sits outside the rate.

Never counted, under any definition: required minimum payments on any debt, regular mortgage principal and interest, insurance premiums, cars and sinking funds for planned purchases, and discretionary spending of every kind. Spending less is how savings become possible; it is not itself savings.

Above 100% of gross — possible when saving out of existing assets or a windfall, or if income dropped mid-year. The arithmetic still counts it; just make sure each dollar is only counted once.

Companion to The Income Variable, Chapter 10. For education and entertainment; not financial advice. Your answers are not saved by this tool.

Fill the steps

The tally uses the standard retirement-savings-rate definition and annualizes every schedule you enter.

A mirror, not a grade — one year's tally reflects that year's life, and a behind year with a reason is not a failed plan. For entertainment; the plan itself gets written with your own numbers and, where needed, a fee-only fiduciary advisor.