Safe withdrawal rate calculator
Enter your portfolio, withdrawal rate and inflation to see first year income and how it rises after that.
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Processing and privacy: The result is calculated inside your browser and your data is not sent to any server.
How to use it
- Enter portfolio value, withdrawal rate, annual inflation and retirement length.
- The result appears straight away and updates as you edit.
- Copy the result, or copy a link that keeps the same values to share it.
How it is calculated
First year withdrawal = portfolio × withdrawal rate. Year k withdrawal = first year × (1 + inflation)^(k − 1), and monthly = annual ÷ 12.
Example
Inputs: Portfolio value = 2,000,000, Withdrawal rate = 4 %, Annual inflation = 3 %, Retirement length = 30 years. Result: First year withdrawal: 80,000.00; Monthly in the first year: 6,666.67; Withdrawal in the final year: 188,525.24.
Limits and caveats
- It shows what you withdraw, not what remains, because the balance depends on actual market returns.
- A safe rate is not guaranteed: poor returns in the first years can drain a portfolio faster.
Questions about this tool
Why does the withdrawal rise every year?
Under the original 4% rule the retiree raises the amount by inflation to keep purchasing power, instead of taking 4% of the new balance each year.
Is 4% fine for a 40 year retirement?
The studies looked at about 30 years. For longer periods many people choose 3% to 3.5% to lower the risk of running out.
How is this different from the FIRE number calculator?
This one starts from a known portfolio and gives you income. The FIRE calculator starts from spending and gives the portfolio you need.