Retirement Calculator Comparison

has that feature  Indicates feature found on calculator
does not have that feature  Indicates feature not found or not readily apparent
   Relax Retirement Planner Flexible Retirement Planner Personal Capital Retirement Planner American Funds Retirement Calculator AARP Retirement Calculator
General
Parent company Relax Software LLC Random Walk Ventures Personal Capital Corp Capital Group AARP
Primary business Retirement software Unknown Money management Money management Nonprofit
Type Downloadable Downloadable Web-based Web-based Web-based
Operating system Windows, OSX Windows, OSX N/A N/A N/A
Price $69.95 Donation based Free Free Free
Money-back guarantee 60-day N/A NA N/A N/A
What it calcluates/Predicts How long your savings will last How long your savings will last How long your savings will last Projects savings at retirement How long your savings will last
Subjective factors
Appearance/Layout of interface Very good Average Good Average, too many web pages Average, too many web pages
First time ease of use Easy Slightly confusing Annoying log-in, then slightly confusing Average, too many web pages Easy
Ease of understanding concept Easy Somewhat difficult at first Average Average Easy
Functionality/Flow Very good Average Average Average, too many web pages Average, too many web pages
Ease of understanding individual inputs Easy Difficult on some inputs for the average person Easy Average Average
Includes important user inputs Yes Yes Yes Excludes some key inputs Excludes key inputs
Appropriate amount of total inputs Yes Maybe too many Yes Yes No
Automatic recalculation of answer after changes Yes No, must hit button Yes No, must hit button Yes
Marital status
Allows married or single status has that feature does not have that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature
Separates your and spouse data has that feature does not have that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature
Federal Taxes
Automatically calculates:
Federal taxes has that feature No, manually input rate Hybrid: manual input and 2018 tax table No, manually input rate Not taken into account
Uses 2019 Tax Cut and Jobs Act rates and brackets has that feature does not have that feature Hybrid: manual input and 2018 tax table does not have that feature does not have that feature
Compares standard and itemized deductions has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Taxable SS inc based on "combined income" has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
State Taxes
Automatically calculates:
State taxes has that feature Not taken into account Uses flat rate Not taken into account Not taken into account
Uses each state's 2019 tax rates/brackets has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Determines if the state taxes SS income has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Determines if state allows item. deductions has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Determines if state allows fed tax deduction has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Determines retirement exemption has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Determines age 65+ std deduction has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
IRA/401K
Automatically calculates Man. Min IRA dist at age 70+ has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows voluntary IRA withdrawals has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows voluntary IRA withdrawals; start/end ages has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Assets
Separates into taxable, tax free, tax deferred has that feature has that feature Must import all asset data to separate has that feature does not have that feature
Separates categories into stock, bonds, cash has that feature Preset percentages based on risk level Must import all asset data to separate has that feature does not have that feature
Allows different returns for each asset sub class has that feature has that feature Uses Monte Carlo and historical returns has that feature does not have that feature
Real time guidance on user's rate of return input has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Ability to stress test portfolios has that feature Uses Monte Carlo to determine probabilities Uses Monte Carlo to determine probabilities does not have that feature does not have that feature
Weighted average return calculation worksheets has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Shows details of why assets rise or fall has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Expenses
Input for annual expenses has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature
Input for expense inflation has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature
Allows one time expenses has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Annual expenses worksheet included has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Employment Income
One slot for your employment has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature
One slot for Spouse income has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature
Multiple sources of employment income for you has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Multiple sources of employment income for spouse has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows retirement age for you has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature
Allows retirement age for spouse has that feature does not have that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature
Retirement Income
Source for your income during retirement has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature
Source for spouse income during retirement has that feature has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature
Multiple sources of pension income for you has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature has that feature
Multiple sources of pension income for spouse has that feature does not have that feature has that feature does not have that feature has that feature
Allows pension/annuity start ages for you has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows pension/annuity start ages for spouse has that feature does not have that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows working during retirement/back to work has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Social Security
Automatically calculates:
Your SS income has that feature No (manual input) No (manual input) No (manual input) No (manual input)
Spouse SS income has that feature No (manual input) No (manual input) No (manual input) No (manual input)
Your SS inc at each start age and month has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Spouse SS inc at each start age and month has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
"Spousal" SS inc at each possible start age" has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
"Spousal" SS inc at each possible start month" has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
The SS earnings test, withheld and rebate amts has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows SS start age for you has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows SS start age for spouse has that feature does not have that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Reports/Charts
Number of reports generated and displayed 24 2, pick columns 1 1 0
Number of charts generated/displayed 9 4 1 1 1
Printing
Prints formatted assumptions/inputs has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Prints formatted window has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Prints formatted reports has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Prints formatted charts has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature has that feature
Support
Real time pop-up hints/suggestions has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Live support person to call has that feature No, has forum does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Printed User guide has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
User guide/help embedded within program has that feature No, only on website has that feature has that feature does not have that feature
Appearance changeable has that feature Size Yes, colors No does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Extra features
Displays federal & state tax rates/brackets has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature
Allows multiple saved scenarios/files has that feature has that feature has that feature does not have that feature does not have that feature

Disclaimers: We prepared this comparison as accurately and fairly as possible as of Sept 2018. It should not be considered a complete comparison of all calculators on the market. Features mentioned above are those we believe important and we may have excluded, mislabeled, or misunderstood features on each calculator. Please see our blog post for comments on calculators not making this list.