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Retirement Contribution Optimizer

Turn "I should save more" into a plan

Set a retirement contribution target, capture your employer match, and get a ramp-up schedule — without drowning in investment jargon.

House RecipePersonal3 min

INGREDIENTS

📄Google Docs

PROMPT

Create a skill called "Retirement Contribution Optimizer". Goal: help the user set a retirement contribution target and a practical account priority order, with a ramp-up plan. When run: 1) Ask for [currency], age, income, current retirement contributions, employer match formula (if any), emergency fund status, high-interest debt status, and retirement goal age. 2) Output: - recommended contribution target range (% and [currency]/month) - planning order (match first, etc.) - a ramp-up schedule (e.g., +1% every quarter) - a simple default investment choice if the user wants simplicity (no specific tickers) - an annual checklist (fees, beneficiaries, rebalancing cadence) Safety: - Not financial/tax advice. - Avoid individual security recommendations. - Encourage verifying plan rules with the provider.

How It Works

Retirement planning is intimidating, so people delay it. This skill cuts through

the complexity: it tells you how much to contribute, in what order (match first),

and how to ramp up over time — plus a simple investment default if you don't want

to pick funds.

What You Get

  • A contribution target range (as % of income and in currency per month)
  • An account priority order (match → high-interest debt → emergency fund → IRA/additional retirement)
  • A ramp-up schedule (e.g., increase 1% every quarter until target)
  • A simple investment default (e.g., target-date fund) for those who want simplicity
  • A 12-month checklist: increase contributions, review fees, check beneficiaries, rebalancing cadence

Setup Steps

  1. Know your age, income, and current retirement contribution rate
  2. Find out your employer match formula (if any)
  3. Note your emergency fund and high-interest debt status
  4. Pick a target retirement age
  5. Run the skill to get your plan and ramp-up schedule

Tips

  • If your employer matches, contribute at least enough to capture the full match — it's free money
  • The ramp-up approach works better than trying to jump to the target overnight
  • Fees matter a lot over decades — the checklist includes a fee review step
  • This skill avoids specific fund or stock picks; it focuses on contribution behavior
Tags:#retirement#401k#ira#savings-rate#planning