What percentage of take-home income are you keeping?
Savings rate
16.1%
Tip. Automate the transfer for the day after payday so the rate is real rather than aspirational.
Explore the numbers
Start with a scenario, then read the response curve to see which input actually moves the answer.
Example 1
A first consistent transfer, worth more as a habit than as a number.
Savings rate
5.4%
Example 2
About 16% of take-home, which is a common working target.
Savings rate
16.1%
Example 3
Roughly a third of take-home, usually the result of holding housing costs down.
Savings rate
33.0%
Sweeps amount saved / invested from half to one and a half times your value, holding everything else fixed.
Response curve
Savings rate
16.1%
Shows what share of take-home income you keep. It is the single number that predicts progress better than income does, because it captures both what you earn and what you spend.
Savings rate = amount saved ÷ take-home income
For a personal rate, count what you contribute. The match is extra compensation and counting it flatters the figure, though it is worth tracking separately because it is free money.
Paying principal above the minimum builds net worth the same way saving does, so many people count it. Just be consistent month to month or the trend becomes meaningless.
It depends on when you want the option to stop working. Higher rates compound twice: you save more and you need less, because your spending is what retirement has to fund.
No. They are educational estimates based on the inputs and assumptions on this page. Confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and your own documents.
The questions people usually ask next.