Retirement

How Long Will My Savings Last?

Retirement isn't just how much you've saved — it's how long it lasts. Enter your balance, monthly withdrawal, and expected return to see when the money runs out, or whether your returns cover the withdrawals and it lasts indefinitely.

Tested against worked examplesHow we verify

Current savings

Monthly withdrawal

Expected annual return

Retirement portfolios often assume a conservative 4–6%.

Your savings last

35 years 11 months

Until the balance reaches zero at this withdrawal rate.

Annual withdrawal: $30,000
First-year investment return: $25,000
Total withdrawn: $1,077,500

Balance over time

Year	Balance
0	$500,000
1	$494,884
2	$489,506
3	$483,853
4	$477,910
5	$471,664
6	$465,098
7	$458,196
8	$450,941
9	$443,315
10	$435,299
11	$426,873
12	$418,015
13	$408,704
14	$398,917
15	$388,630
16	$377,816
17	$366,448
18	$354,499
19	$341,939
20	$328,736
21	$314,858
22	$300,269
23	$284,934
24	$268,815
25	$251,871
26	$234,060
27	$215,338
28	$195,658
29	$174,971
30	$153,226
31	$130,368
32	$106,340
33	$81,084
34	$54,535
35	$26,628
35.9	$0

Compare scenariosTry three values of one input

Vary

How Long Will My Savings Last? results for three values of Current savings
Current savings
Your savings last	27 years 10 months	35 years 11 months+8 years 1 month	49 years 10 months+22 years
First-year investment return	$22,500	$25,000+$2,500	$27,500+$5,000
Total withdrawn	$835,000	$1,077,500+$242,500	$1,495,000+$660,000

Every other input stays at the value you set above — currently $500,000 for current savings. Differences are measured against the first column.

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How this calculator works

Each month the balance earns your return (annual rate ÷ 12), then the withdrawal is subtracted, until it reaches zero. If the monthly return exceeds the withdrawal, the balance never depletes and we report it as lasting indefinitely (capped at 60 years for the chart).

The model excludes inflation, taxes, sequence-of-returns risk, and market volatility — real returns vary year to year. Treat it as an educational projection and stress-test it at a lower return.

What this assumes

A constant return during retirement and steady inflation. Sequence of returns — a bad first decade — does far more damage than the average suggests.
Withdrawals rise with inflation at the rate entered, which is the standard 4%-rule mechanic.
Social Security, pensions and taxes on withdrawals are excluded unless netted out of the figure you enter.

What changes this number

Withdrawal rate: The dominant input. The difference between 4% and 5% is the difference between a portfolio that usually lasts and one that often does not.
Sequence of returns: Not modelled by a constant rate, and the reason planners treat the average as insufficient on its own.
Flexibility: A retiree who can cut spending in a bad year survives outcomes that a fixed withdrawal does not.

A worked example

Take the $500k, $2,500/mo, 5% scenario. These figures are produced by the calculator above, not written alongside it, so they always match what the tool returns.

What you enter

Current savings: $500,000
Monthly withdrawal: $2,500
Expected annual return: 5%

What it returns

Your savings last: 35 years 11 months
Annual withdrawal: $30,000
First-year investment return: $25,000
Total withdrawn: $1,077,500

Try an example

$500k, $2,500/mo, 5%Aggressive drawdown Lean and sustainable

Frequently asked questions

How long will my retirement savings last?

It depends on your balance, how much you withdraw, and what the money earns. If your withdrawals are smaller than your investment returns, the balance never runs out. Once withdrawals exceed returns, the balance shrinks — this calculator shows exactly when it hits zero.

What is a safe withdrawal rate?

The classic guideline is the 4% rule: withdrawing about 4% of your starting balance a year (adjusted for inflation) has historically lasted 30 years in most markets. On $500,000 that's roughly $1,667 a month. Withdrawing much more risks running out early.

Does this account for inflation and taxes?

No — it uses a fixed monthly withdrawal in today's dollars and doesn't model taxes or market swings. To be conservative, use a lower return (say 4%) and remember that rising costs mean you may need to withdraw more over time. It's a planning estimate, not a guarantee.

This calculator helps answer

How much do I need to retire?

Turn the spending you want into a number, check whether your current saving reaches it, and see what Social Security and a later claiming age take off the total.