Compare the top AI retirement planning platforms. Empower, Betterment, and Fidelity — projection accuracy, Social Security optimization, healthcare cost modeling, and fees.
Will you have enough to retire? That question keeps more people up at night than almost any other financial worry. AI retirement planning tools finally give you a clear, data-driven answer.
These platforms run your financial data through thousands of market scenarios to show what your retirement actually looks like. No guessing. No vague rules of thumb. Just real projections based on your numbers.
This guide compares the best AI retirement planning platforms in 2026 and shows you how to get the most from each one. For the full picture on AI-powered financial management, start with our complete AI financial planning guide.
AI retirement tools go far beyond the basic calculators you find on bank websites. They model your entire financial life.
Monte Carlo simulations test your plan against 10,000+ market scenarios. Instead of assuming the market returns exactly 7% every year, the AI simulates boom years, crashes, recessions, and everything between. You get a probability of success — like "87% chance your money lasts to age 95."
Social Security optimization analyzes the best claiming age for you and your spouse. Claiming at 62 versus 70 can mean a $200,000+ difference in lifetime benefits. The AI tests every combination.
Healthcare cost modeling estimates what you will actually spend on medical care in retirement. Most people wildly underestimate this number. AI uses actuarial data to project costs based on your age, health, and location.
Tax-efficient withdrawal strategies tell you which accounts to draw from first — traditional IRA, Roth, taxable — to minimize your lifetime tax bill.
| Platform | Best For | Cost | Monte Carlo | SS Optimization | Healthcare Modeling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empower | Free comprehensive planning | Free (planner); 0.49-0.89% AUM (advisory) | Yes — 10,000+ runs | Yes | Yes |
| Betterment | Automated retirement investing | 0.25% AUM ($4/mo under $20K) | Yes | Basic | Limited |
| Fidelity | Full-service retirement | Free (planner); 0.35% AUM (managed) | Yes — detailed | Yes — advanced | Yes — Fidelity research |
| NewRetirement | DIY detailed planning | $10/mo (Plus); $30/mo (Premium) | Yes — 1,000+ runs | Yes — advanced | Yes |
| Boldin | Hands-on planners | $6/mo (Essential); $18/mo (Plus) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Empower (formerly Personal Capital) offers the most powerful free retirement planning tool on the market. Link your accounts, and the AI builds a complete picture of your retirement readiness.
The retirement planner runs Monte Carlo simulations, models Social Security claiming strategies, and includes healthcare cost estimates. It shows a clear graph of your projected savings over time with a "funded" or "needs attention" status. It also models different spending scenarios — essential expenses versus comfortable versus dream retirement.
Empower makes money from its paid advisory service (0.49-0.89% of assets under management), which means the free tools are truly full-featured. If you want one dashboard to track all retirement accounts — 401(k), IRA, Roth, brokerage — Empower is the best starting point. It works especially well alongside AI budgeting tools for a complete financial view.
Betterment takes a different approach. Instead of just planning, it manages your retirement investments automatically. The AI builds a diversified portfolio, rebalances as markets shift, and adjusts your stock-to-bond ratio as you age.
The glide path feature is especially smart. After age 45, Betterment gradually reduces your stock exposure by 2-3% per year — protecting your savings as retirement approaches. Tax-loss harvesting runs daily, capturing small tax savings that add up significantly over decades.
Betterment's retirement planning tools are solid but not as detailed as Empower or Fidelity. You get basic projections and goal tracking. Where Betterment excels is hands-off investing. Set your retirement date, contribute regularly, and the AI handles everything else. For a detailed comparison with its main competitor, see our Betterment vs Wealthfront breakdown.
Fidelity brings institutional-grade retirement planning to individual investors. Its Planning & Guidance Center uses AI to model your full retirement — income, expenses, Social Security, pensions, healthcare, taxes, and estate planning.
Fidelity's healthcare cost research is the best in the industry. The annual Fidelity Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate is the benchmark that other tools reference. Fidelity builds this data directly into its planner, giving you personalized healthcare cost projections based on your age, health status, and location.
The Social Security optimizer handles complex spousal benefit calculations. For married couples, it tests every possible claiming combination and shows the lifetime benefit difference. This alone can justify spending time in the platform.
Claiming Social Security at the right time is one of the highest-value financial decisions you will make. Here is why AI tools are so valuable for this.
If you claim at 62, you get 70% of your full benefit. Wait until 67 (full retirement age for most people), and you get 100%. Delay to 70, and you get 124%. For someone with a $2,000 monthly benefit at 67, that is $1,400 at 62 versus $2,480 at 70.
For a single person, the math is relatively straightforward — delay if you are healthy. For married couples, it gets complex. One spouse might claim early to provide income while the other delays to maximize the survivor benefit. AI tools test hundreds of these combinations in seconds.
| Claiming Age | Benefit % of Full | Monthly (if $2,000 full) | Lifetime Total (to 85) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 70% | $1,400 | $386,400 |
| 65 | 87% | $1,740 | $417,600 |
| 67 (FRA) | 100% | $2,000 | $432,000 |
| 70 | 124% | $2,480 | $446,400 |
The lifetime difference between 62 and 70 is $60,000 for a single person in this example. For married couples with spousal and survivor benefits, careful timing adds $50,000-$100,000 in total benefits.
Healthcare is the biggest wild card in retirement. The average 65-year-old couple needs $315,000 for medical expenses in retirement. Most people guess around $150,000 — missing the mark by nearly half.
AI retirement tools model healthcare costs with real actuarial data. They account for Medicare Part B premiums (which increase with income), supplemental insurance, prescription drug costs, dental and vision, and out-of-pocket maximums.
Long-term care is the elephant in the room. A private nursing home room costs an average of $108,000 per year. Even home health aides average $60,000 annually. Empower and Fidelity let you add long-term care scenarios to your plan so you can see the impact and plan accordingly.
Your situation and preferences determine the best fit.
Link every account. Your 401(k), IRA, Roth, HSA, brokerage, savings — the AI needs the full picture. Missing accounts lead to inaccurate projections.
Be honest about spending. Most people underestimate retirement spending by 20-30%. If you spend $5,000 a month now, plan for $4,500 — not $3,000. Travel, hobbies, and grandkids add up.
Run multiple scenarios. Test what happens if you retire at 60, 62, 65, and 67. See how part-time work for two years changes your projections. AI tools make scenario testing easy — use that power.
Update annually. Your plan is a living document. Update your account balances, salary, and spending at least once a year. Life changes — job loss, inheritance, health events — require immediate updates.
Do not ignore inflation. AI tools model inflation automatically, but make sure your spending assumptions are in today's dollars. A $5,000 monthly budget today is roughly $8,000 in 20 years at 2.5% inflation.
The best time to start retirement planning was 10 years ago. The second best time is today. AI tools eliminate the guesswork and show you exactly where you stand.
Empower is the best starting point for most people — it is free, comprehensive, and works with any existing accounts. If you want automated investing on top of planning, Betterment delivers excellent hands-off management at a low cost. For the full financial planning picture, explore our complete AI financial planning guide to complement your retirement strategy with budgeting, tax planning, and more.
Top AI retirement tools achieve 92-95% accuracy using Monte Carlo simulations — running your plan through 10,000+ market scenarios. This is far more accurate than spreadsheet projections that assume a fixed return rate. The AI accounts for inflation, market volatility, sequence-of-returns risk, and tax bracket changes. However, projections are estimates, not guarantees. Review and update your plan annually as your income, spending, and goals evolve.
Health & Legal Tech Writer
Amina specializes in healthcare and legal technology, covering how AI is reshaping professional workflows. Her background in healthcare administration informs her practical insights.
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