Long-Term Care Exposure Calculator
How much of your retirement savings a period of care could consume.
Your situation
Only counted if you include it below.
Income that would go toward care costs rather than other living expenses.
The care scenario
Leave blank to assume care starts now.
Share of assets potentially exposed
60%
How this was calculated
Illustrative planning scenario based on the assumptions you selected. Care costs vary widely by setting, level of care and region. This tool does not provide medical, legal or Medicaid-planning advice.
What this calculator does
Long-term care is rarely the largest expense in retirement, but it is the one most capable of consuming a lifetime of savings in a few years. This calculator estimates the total cost of a care scenario you describe, subtracts the income and benefits that would offset it, and expresses what remains as a share of your assets.
It does not predict whether you will need care, and it does not provide medical, legal or Medicaid-planning advice.
How the maths works
- Work out how many years remain until care begins, if you set a later start age.
- Inflate the monthly care cost forward to that point at the rate you choose.
- Multiply by the number of months of care to get the projected total cost.
- Subtract the income you could redirect to care, and any existing long-term care benefit.
- Express the remaining exposure as a share of the assets you chose to count.
A worked example
Someone with $500,000 in retirement savings facing $300,000 of care costs, with no offsetting income or benefits, has roughly 60% of those assets exposed.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I include my home equity?
- That is a personal decision, which is why it is off by default. Many people would not sell the family home to fund care, particularly if a spouse still lives there. Including it lowers the percentage exposed but assumes the house is genuinely available.
- What monthly cost should I use?
- Costs vary enormously by care type and region — in-home help, assisted living and skilled nursing are very different figures. Use a local quote if you have one. The default is an illustrative planning figure, not an average.
- Does this mean I need long-term care insurance?
- No. It shows how much of your savings a given scenario would consume. Whether that risk is worth insuring, self-funding or planning around differently is a decision for you and a licensed professional.
- Does this account for Medicaid?
- No. Medicaid eligibility involves rules this tool does not model, and Medicaid planning is a legal matter. Nothing here should be read as advice on it.
Care cost figures are illustrative planning figures, not averages or quotes. Actual costs vary substantially by care type, provider and region.
This calculator does not provide medical, legal or Medicaid-planning advice, and it does not predict whether care will be needed.
Long-term care expenses could create a significant retirement risk.
Explore how several years of care could affect retirement savings. This tool does not provide medical, legal or Medicaid-planning advice.