Find out how long your retirement savings will actually last
💡 Why This Matters The number one fear in retirement isn't having too little saved — it's running out while you're still alive. This calculator gives you a straight answer: at your planned withdrawal amount and expected return, exactly how many years does your balance realistically hold up.
The famous "4% rule" comes from a 1994 study by financial planner William Bengen, who tested withdrawal rates against every 30-year period of U.S. market history going back to 1926. It wasn't a guess — it was the highest rate that survived every historical worst-case scenario he tested.
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This calculator simulates your balance month by month: each month, your withdrawal amount is subtracted, then the remaining balance grows at your expected annual return, compounded monthly. It continues until either the balance reaches zero (reporting exactly how many years that took) or the simulation reaches a long time horizon without depleting, indicating your withdrawal rate is likely sustainable indefinitely.
If your balance depletes, the result shows precisely how many years your money lasts at that withdrawal amount — useful for stress-testing whether your retirement plan has enough runway. If your withdrawal rate is at or below your expected return rate, your balance can actually hold steady or grow even as you withdraw from it, meaning it may never run out under the assumptions entered.
This calculator uses a fixed annual withdrawal amount that doesn't adjust for inflation, and assumes a constant rate of return every year, which real markets never deliver. It also doesn't account for required minimum distributions, taxes on withdrawals, or major one-time expenses. Real-world sequence-of-returns risk (poor market performance early in retirement) can meaningfully shorten how long a balance actually lasts compared to a flat average-return projection.
If your balance depletes sooner than you'd like, try lowering your annual withdrawal amount and see how much that extends your runway — often a relatively small reduction adds years. Compare a few withdrawal rates side by side (for example, 3%, 4%, and 5% of your balance) to see how sensitive your plan is to that one number.
Example: Say you have a $1,000,000 balance, withdraw $60,000 a year, and expect a 5% annual return. That's a 6% withdrawal rate against a 5% return, so the balance slowly shrinks — this projects to your savings lasting about 35.5 years before running out.
The Annuity Calculator starts with a fixed time period and solves for the payment amount that fully depletes your balance by the end. This calculator works the other way — you set the withdrawal amount, and it solves for how many years your balance actually lasts.
If your withdrawal rate is at or below your expected return rate, your balance can grow even while you withdraw from it, meaning it may last indefinitely rather than reaching a defined end point. This calculator caps its simulation at a long horizon and reports that your funds are likely sustainable at that point.
A commonly cited guideline is the "4% rule" — withdrawing about 4% of your starting balance annually, adjusted for inflation, historically had a strong chance of lasting 30 years across most market conditions. This isn't a guarantee, and the right rate for you depends on your time horizon, other income, and risk tolerance.
No — this calculator uses a fixed annual withdrawal amount that doesn't increase with inflation over time. In practice, most retirees increase withdrawals to keep pace with rising costs, which would shorten how long a balance actually lasts compared to this simplified projection.