WA Cares Fund: Annualized ROI Calculator

The state takes a flat 0.58% of your gross income with no cap. See your true Annualized Compound Return and dynamic timeline projections.

Your Metrics

💡 Tip: Hover or click the timeline graph on the right to auto-adjust this age!

Total Invested
$0
0 years working
Future Benefit
$0
Compounded over 0 yrs
Annualized Return
0%
Calculating...

Interactive Annualized ROI Curve

Move your mouse across the curve to explore alternative aging scenarios instantly.

Selected Age Scenario Dollar Comparison

Actuarial Valuation Formula Matrix

1. Cumulative Premium Cost

Calculates total compounded career tax collection assuming a constant geometric growth series.

Cost = S × τ ×
(1 + g)n - 1
g
2. Inflation-Adjusted Payout

Projects the dynamic scaling of the baseline programmatic benefit to target claim year.

Benefit = B0 × (1 + i)t
3. Compound Annual Return (ROI)

Isolates true annualized internal rate of return over the entire investment holding timeline.

ROI = (
Benefit
Cost
) 1/t - 1
Variable Definitions
S = Starting Salary
τ = WA Cares Tax Rate (0.0058)
g = Wage Growth Rate
n = Career Working Years
B0 = Base Benefit ($36,500)
i = Benefit Inflation Rate
t = Total Years Transpired (Claim Age − Current Age)

Program Rules & Legal Disclaimer

Simplistic Scenario Note: This calculator assumes a best-case baseline: your annual salary remains flat during your working years, employment within Washington State remains continuous through retirement, and the state-managed payout successfully scales precisely at your inputted annual inflation rate.

You need a minimum of 10 total contribution years to secure lifetime access to the full WA Cares Fund benefit. However, there are three distinct qualifying pathways depending on your current career stage and how recently you worked.

To count a year as a "contribution year," you must work at least 500 hours within that calendar year.

Pathway Minimum Years Required Benefit Amount Purpose / Details
Permanent (Lifetime) 10 years total Full Benefit ($36,500+) Secures permanent, lifetime access to the fund. A recent law simplified this rule, removing the old requirement that the 10 years had to be consecutive.
Temporary (Early Access) 3 of the last 6 years Full Benefit ($36,500+) Protects people who suffer a sudden health crisis mid-career or shortly after leaving the workforce before reaching 10 years.
Transition (Near-Retirees) 1 year minimum Pro-rated (10% per year) Only for workers born before January 1, 1968. For each year you contribute, you permanently vest 10% of the maximum benefit.

Important Rules to Remember

  • The Benefit Grows: The base full benefit amount of $36,500 increases annually to protect your funds against inflation.
  • Moving Out of State: If you move away from Washington, you can choose to continue participating in the program, but you must have contributed for a minimum of 3 years before relocating to take the benefit with you.
Visit the Official WA Cares Fund Website