Pension Maximization Calculator

Take the bigger single-life pension and insure your spouse, or take the smaller joint-life pension?

Net pension-max income
Extra vs. joint-life
Annual difference

This is only a monthly cash-flow comparison. It ignores coverage duration, death benefits, policy guarantees, health underwriting, taxes, and inflation.

How it works

Pension maximization means taking the larger single-life pension and using part of the extra to buy life insurance that protects your spouse. This compares the leftover monthly cash to simply choosing the joint-life option.

All retirement calculators

Social Security Taxation → Guide: How SS Is Taxed → Net Worth → 401(k) Growth → Traditional IRA → 72(t) SEPP → FIRE Number → Guide: Tax on 401(k) Withdrawal → Guide: When Should You Retire → Fixed Annuity → Deferred Annuity → Annuity vs CD → Guide: Immediate Annuity Income → Guide: Should You Take a Buyout → Guide: SS Spousal Benefits → Guide: Pension COLA Raises → Guide: How Much to Retire → Guide: How a Lump Sum Is Calculated → Guide: Lump Sum vs Monthly → Guide: How to Calculate Your RMD → Guide: Early Withdrawal Penalty → Pension Lump Sum Tax → Interest Rate Impact on Lump Sum → Early Retirement Reduction → Roth Conversion → Inherited IRA (10-Year Rule) → TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) → Cash Balance Pension → QDRO / Divorce Pension Value → Pension Lump Sum vs Monthly → Pension Buyout / Commuted Value → Pension Survivor Benefit → Pension COLA → Immediate Annuity Payout → Annuity vs Lump Sum → Annuity Present Value → How Long Savings Last → Withdrawal Rate → How Much to Retire → Income Gap → Inflation Impact → Social Security Break-Even → RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) → Social Security Spousal Benefit → Pension vs 401(k) Rollover → Early Withdrawal Penalty → 403(b) Retirement Calculator → 457(b) Retirement Calculator → Rule of 55 Calculator → Backdoor Roth IRA Calculator → Social Security Claiming Age Optimizer → Federal Pension (FERS) Calculator → Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) →