Lifecycle Calculator
Please do not include commas in your inputs.
Results
Net Income Plus: $0
Min Invest: $0
Max Invest: $0
Min Spending: $0
Max Spending: $0
Max Required Expenses: $0
The Lifecycle Calculator: Balance Today and Tomorrow
The Lifecycle Calculator helps you determine how to allocate your Net Income Plus (NI+) across investing, spending, and required expenses. It’s not about maximizing your wealth for old age—it’s about achieving a meaningful balance between enjoying life today and building a secure future.
The Lifecycle Plan encourages a dynamic approach:
Spend more and invest less when you’re younger.
Invest more and spend less as you grow older.
Unlike conventional financial advice that focuses on delaying gratification, The Lifecycle Plan aligns your financial decisions with the realities of life’s stages.
How It Works
As illustrated in the graph above, The Lifecycle Plan gradually increases the portion of your income allocated to investments while reducing discretionary spending over time. The one constant is the amount set aside for “required expenses” (e.g., rent, loan payments, groceries), which should stay below 50% of your NI+.
Why? Keeping required expenses low frees up more of your income for the things you love today and the future you’re building for tomorrow.
Ready to take control of your finances and design a life you love? Start with the Lifecycle Calculator and see how you can make the most of your NI+.
Lifecycle Calculator Directions
Get your most recent paystub and identify the following values (a) your “net income”; (b) deductions shown on your paystub, excluding taxes and retirement contributions (e.g., health insurance, dental insurance, parking, etc.); (c) your retirement contributions; and (d) your employer’s contributions to your retirement account.
Input your age into the “Age” field above. If you have a partner and you and your partner are different ages, then input the median of your ages. Example: You are 30 years old and your partner is 35 years old. Your median age would be 33 years old.
Input your “Net Income” in the field above, which you retrieved in step 1(a).
Input how often you are paid per month. Most people are paid twice per month or four times per month (i.e., every week).
Input your “Deductions” in the field above, which you retrieved in step 1(b).
Input your “Retirement Contributions” in the field above, which you retrieved in step 1(c).
Input your “Employer Contributions” in the field above, which you retrieved in step 1(d).
Click “Calculate.” The result will calculate your “Net Income Plus,” and will show the minimum and maximum you should allocate toward investing, saving, and required expenses.
Click the “Clear” button to clear all the results in the calculator.
You can also download an Excel spreadsheet of The Lifecycle Plan for a more comprehensive guide. Click “Download Your Lifecycle Plan.”
Important note: Your information is confidential and is not stored. Lifecycle Personal Finance, LLC does not collect the data you input into this calculator. If you leave this page, the calculator will reset. If you want to save your results, please print a copy of this webpage.