Retirement Benefit Estimator

Four calculators for the decisions that come with retiring — and, next to every figure, the assumptions behind it, written out in plain English.

SOCIAL SECURITY What you would receive starting at each age from 62 to 70, and what each of those adds up to over a lifetime. The curve marks the stretch where the lifetime totals barely move, and puts the gap between the highest and the lowest in dollars instead of leaving you to read it off a shape.

MARRIED COUPLE The spousal top-up you would actually receive, which is not simply half of the higher earner's benefit. What a survivor would be left with. How much of the household's benefit becomes taxable income.

REQUIRED WITHDRAWALS What you have to take out each year once you reach the starting age set by your year of birth. If you were born in 1959, SECURE 2.0 as written puts you in two categories at once — the app tells you that instead of quietly picking one. Uses the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table, and the Joint and Last Survivor table when your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than ten years younger.

ROTH CONVERSION What converting costs this year: the federal tax, the extra Social Security it pulls into taxable income, and the Medicare surcharge (IRMAA) it triggers two years later. Where you land relative to the next IRMAA threshold and what that step costs. And both paths added up over the years you choose, so you can see what converting changes rather than only what it costs today. You can enter your own state rate.

WHAT IT WILL NOT DO It will not name an age to claim at, an amount to convert, or a course of action. It gives you the arithmetic, states the assumptions, and says which direction each simplification pushes the answer. The decision stays yours.

EXPLAIN A paid feature that answers questions about the figures on the screen you are looking at, in plain English. Three conversations are free.

PRIVACY The calculators run entirely on your phone. There is no account and no sign-in, and what you type is not saved anywhere. Explain is the only feature that sends anything, and only when you use it.

Estimates and general information only — not tax, investment, or financial advice, and not a substitute for your own tax professional. Not affiliated with the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or any government agency. Tax rules change; check figures against current official materials before acting on them.

EXPLAIN — SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Explain is an auto-renewable subscription at $49.99 per year, or a one-time purchase of $79.99 for lifetime access. Three conversations are free before either is needed; the four calculators are free. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless it is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before that period ends. You can manage or cancel a subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Both options can be shared with your family group.

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