Retirement Withdrawal Calculator
See how much you can withdraw from a retirement nest egg and how long it lasts at a given return. Free calculator built around the 4% rule.
Independently verified for accuracy
- Annual withdrawal
- 40000
- Monthly withdrawal
- 3333.33
- Years money lasts
- 100+
This calculator shows how much you can take from a retirement nest egg each year and how long the balance lasts at a given return. Use it to pressure-test a withdrawal rate, such as the 4% rule, before you retire and to see when a higher rate would run the money out. It reports the annual and monthly withdrawal plus the number of years the portfolio survives.
How this is calculated
It withdraws a fixed dollar amount each year (your chosen percentage of the starting nest egg) while growing the remaining balance at your assumed annual return, then counts the years until the balance hits zero, capped at 100. The withdrawal is not adjusted for inflation.
How to use
- Enter your retirement nest egg.
- Enter a withdrawal rate (4% is the common starting point) and an expected annual return.
- Read the annual and monthly withdrawal and how many years the money lasts.
Examples
- $1,000,000, 4% rate, 6% return:
$40,000/yr, lasts 100+ years - $500,000, 7% rate, 5% return:
$35,000/yr, lasts 26 years
FAQ
- What is the 4% rule?
- It is a guideline that withdrawing about 4% of your starting balance each year has historically lasted roughly 30 years. It is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee, and depends on market returns.
- How does this model withdrawals?
- It takes a fixed dollar amount each year, set as your chosen percentage of the starting nest egg, while the remaining balance grows at your assumed return. It counts the years until the balance runs out, capped at 100.
- Does it adjust for inflation?
- No. The withdrawal stays a fixed dollar amount. Real plans usually raise withdrawals with inflation, which shortens how long the money lasts, so treat this as an optimistic baseline.