The Edward Jones Investments Nest Egg Calculator is a free retirement savings calculator that estimates what your balance could be at retirement, what it's worth in today's dollars, and how much came from deposits versus growth.
Enter your savings, monthly deposit, years to go, an expected return and inflation. The result is an illustration, not a forecast, and every investment carries the risk of losing money, including what you originally put in.
How the estimate works
The calculator takes your current savings and grows it monthly at your expected annual return. At the end of each month it adds your deposit. Then it repeats that for every month until retirement.
It reports 3 numbers: the balance at retirement, the same amount in today's dollars after inflation, and the split between your deposits and growth. Growth is small early and large late, which is why the last years matter most.
Take a hypothetical saver with $250,000 and $1,000 a month at 5% a year, compounded monthly. After 4 years the balance is $358,239 on $298,000 of deposits. After 25 years it's $1,465,832 on $550,000 of deposits, so growth supplies most of the total.
| Year | Balance | Your deposits |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | $358,239 | $298,000 |
| 8 | $490,387 | $346,000 |
| 12 | $651,726 | $394,000 |
| 16 | $848,704 | $442,000 |
| 20 | $1,089,194 | $490,000 |
| 24 | $1,382,806 | $538,000 |
| 25 | $1,465,832 | $550,000 |
What does a good result look like with RSUs and ESPP shares?
A good result is one that still covers your planned spending when the biggest holding is cut hard. If most of your balance is employer stock, the output is only as steady as that one company.
Try a quick test: run the calculator twice, once with all your shares at today's value and once with the employer stock cut by half. If the second result no longer covers your spending, your concentration is the problem, not your savings rate.
A worrying sign is a strong result built mostly on unvested RSUs or options you haven't exercised. Count what you own and plan to keep, and leave out the rest.
What the calculator leaves out
The tool assumes a steady return and level deposits. Real markets don't behave that way, and a bad year just before you retire hurts far more than the same year at the start.
Edward Jones Investments sets risk by what the portfolio can afford to lose, which comes from your spending, not from a questionnaire about how brave you feel. Before Edward Jones Investments suggests selling concentrated stock, it estimates the tax bill of each sale and spreads the sales across tax years where that helps. The calculator can't see any of this.
The honest limit: if your savings are under $500K in investable assets, a full engagement with the firm may not fit yet, and this calculator is a fine place to start.
- Taxes on selling shares, options or ESPP discounts
- Fees and uneven market returns
- Your spending after retirement
- Limits like the $24,500 401(k) deferral for 2026
Check the return and inflation you enter
Entering 8% instead of 5% on the example above makes the result look far better and hides the risk. Use a return you could live with missing, and test a lower one.
Leaving inflation at 0% is the same kind of error. The today's-dollars figure is the one to compare with your spending.
Your questions about Edward Jones Investments, answered
How accurate is a retirement savings calculator?
A retirement savings calculator projects a future balance from your current savings, monthly deposits, years to go and an assumed return. It shows one illustrative path, not a prediction. Real markets rise and fall unevenly, so treat the result as a rough yardstick and rerun it with lower returns.
What return should I enter for expected annual return?
Use a figure you would be comfortable missing, often 4% to 6% for a mixed portfolio, and run a lower case too. Higher assumptions inflate the result quickly. In the example on this page, 5% a year turns $250,000 and $1,000 monthly into $1,465,832 after 25 years. Every investment can lose money.
Should I include RSUs and ESPP shares in current savings?
Yes, but only the part you plan to keep. Count vested shares you will hold and shares you'll sell and reinvest, and leave out unvested RSUs that may never vest. Enter the diversified value, and treat a large single-stock position as a risk, not a sure number.
Why does the calculator show a balance in today's dollars?
Inflation shrinks what the future balance buys. The calculator shows the same amount in today's dollars, so you can compare it with your current spending. A $1 million balance in 25 years buys much less than $1 million does now, which is why the second number matters more.
Does this calculator replace a full retirement playbook?
No. It uses fixed contributions, a constant return and no taxes, fees or market drops. It also doesn't know your spending, your employer stock or when you might leave your job. A full playbook from Edward Jones Investments adds those pieces. The client minimum is $500K in investable assets.
Planning tools
This material is general information only and does not address any individual's investment, tax or legal situation. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Before acting on any information here, speak with a financial advisor, tax professional or attorney about your circumstances.