Content Creator Retirement Calculator: How Much You Need and When

Step 1: Determine your target retirement annual spending
Current annual expenses × inflation adjustment × desired retirement lifestyle factor.
- Conservative retirement: current expenses × 0.8 (spend 80% of current lifestyle)
- Same lifestyle: current expenses × 1.0
- Comfortable retirement: current expenses × 1.2

Step 2: Account for passive content income
Estimate conservatively: assume your passive content income will be 30-50% of current levels by retirement (content decays without maintenance).

Retirement spending gap = target annual spending - estimated passive content income.

Step 3: Calculate portfolio needed (4% rule)
Retirement spending gap × 25 = required portfolio.

Example calculation:
- Current annual expenses: $60,000
- Target retirement spending: $60,000 (same lifestyle)
- Expected passive content income: $18,000/year ($1,500/month — conservative)
- Retirement spending gap: $42,000/year
- Required portfolio: $42,000 × 25 = $1,050,000

Step 4: Factor in your business sale value
If you plan to sell your content business at retirement:
- Conservative business value: 2x annual profit
- At $100K annual profit: business sale adds $200K to portfolio
- Adjusted portfolio needed: $1,050,000 - $200,000 = $850,000

Step 5: Calculate monthly investment needed
Using compound interest at 10% average returns:
- Need $850K in 15 years: invest $2,200/month
- Need $850K in 20 years: invest $1,200/month
- Need $850K in 25 years: invest $750/month

These numbers are very achievable for a creator earning $8,000+/month.

Solo 401(k) — Your most powerful tool
2026 contribution limits:
- Employee contribution: $23,500 (under 50) or $31,000 (50+)
- Employer contribution: 25% of net self-employment income
- Total maximum: $69,000 (under 50) or $76,500 (50+)

A creator earning $150K can contribute up to $69,000/year tax-deferred. This is dramatically more than the $23,500 employee limit at most companies.

Roth vs. Traditional Solo 401(k):
- Traditional: Deduct contributions now, pay taxes on withdrawal in retirement
- Roth: Pay taxes now, withdraw tax-free in retirement
- If you expect to earn MORE in the future: contribute Roth now (pay lower taxes)
- If you're at peak earning: contribute Traditional (get the deduction at high tax rate)
- Best strategy: split contributions — some Traditional, some Roth

Roth IRA — Your tax-free growth bucket
- $7,000/year contribution limit (2026)
- Income limit: $161K (single) for direct contribution, but backdoor Roth has no limit
- Growth and withdrawals are tax-free
- No required minimum distributions

SEP IRA — Simpler alternative to Solo 401(k)
- Contribute up to 25% of net self-employment income (max $69,000)
- Simpler setup than Solo 401(k)
- No Roth option (all Traditional)
- Best for: creators who want simplicity and don't need Roth contributions

HSA — The stealth retirement account
- $4,150/year (individual) or $8,300 (family)
- Triple tax advantage: deductible, tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawal for medical
- After age 65, can withdraw for any purpose (just regular income tax, like Traditional IRA)
- Best for: creators with high-deductible health plans

Priority order:
1. Solo 401(k) up to employer match equivalent
2. Roth IRA ($7,000)
3. HSA ($4,150)
4. Solo 401(k) remainder (up to $69,000 total)
5. Taxable brokerage account

Scenario 1: Creator earning $5,000/month ($60K/year)
Monthly investment capacity: $1,500 (30% savings rate)
Annual investments: $18,000 ($7K Roth IRA + $11K Solo 401(k))
Portfolio at 10% returns after 20 years: ~$1.1M
Passive content income at retirement: $500-$1,000/month (conservative)
Retirement monthly income: $3,700/month portfolio withdrawal + $750/month content = $4,450
Verdict: Modest but comfortable retirement achievable in 20 years.

Scenario 2: Creator earning $10,000/month ($120K/year)
Monthly investment capacity: $4,000 (40% savings rate)
Annual investments: $48,000 ($7K Roth + $4K HSA + $37K Solo 401(k))
Portfolio at 10% returns after 15 years: ~$1.7M
Business sale value: $200K-$300K
Passive content income: $1,500-$2,500/month
Retirement monthly income: $5,700/month portfolio + $2,000/month content = $7,700
Verdict: Very comfortable retirement achievable in 15 years.

Scenario 3: Creator earning $20,000/month ($240K/year)
Monthly investment capacity: $10,000 (50% savings rate)
Annual investments: $69,000 (maxed Solo 401(k)) + $7K Roth + $4K HSA + $40K taxable = $120K
Portfolio at 10% returns after 10 years: ~$2.1M
Business sale value: $400K-$800K
Passive content income: $3,000-$5,000/month
Retirement monthly income: $7,000/month portfolio + $4,000/month content = $11,000
Verdict: Early retirement (age 40-45) is realistic within 10 years.

The key insight: Even modest creators ($5K/month) can build comfortable retirement portfolios by consistently investing 30%+ of income through tax-advantaged accounts. The Solo 401(k) is the differentiator — it lets creators invest $69K/year tax-advantaged, versus $23.5K for most employees.