How Long Will My Money Last?

Enter your balance, what you take out each month, and a return rate. The calculator shows the year your money runs out, charts the balance, and tells you the most you can withdraw to last 20, 25 or 30 years.

How the calculator works

Each month the balance earns one month of return, then the withdrawal is taken out. Every 12 months the withdrawal is increased by the inflation rate so your spending power stays level. If you enter a tax rate, each withdrawal is grossed up so the after-tax amount you keep matches the number you typed. The calculator stops when the balance hits zero, or after 100 years if it never does.

The "to last 20 / 25 / 30 years" figures are solved by bisection: the largest starting withdrawal that still survives that horizon under the same return and inflation assumptions.

Reading your result

If the headline says your money lasts indefinitely, growth is covering your inflation-adjusted withdrawals — you are living on returns, not principal. If it gives a number of years, compare it with your life expectancy: a 65-year-old today should plan to around 90–95, so a result under 25–30 years is a warning sign.

The three "to last N years" boxes are the practical output. They tell you the monthly spending ceiling for a chosen horizon, which is a far more useful number than any rule of thumb, because it is computed from your balance, return and inflation rather than a generic 4%.

Choosing realistic inputs

• Annual return. 4–5% is a conservative planning number for a balanced portfolio; 6–7% is closer to long-run history for 60/40; cash and CDs are 3–5% today but fall when rates fall.
• Inflation. The Federal Reserve targets 2%; the 30-year U.S. average is about 2.5%. Healthcare inflation runs higher, so retirees with large medical costs should test 3–3.5%.
• Withdrawal. Use what you actually spend, minus guaranteed income (Social Security, pension, annuity). That net gap is what savings must cover.

Why the 4% rule is only a starting point

The 4% rule came from a 1994 study of U.S. stock and bond returns: withdrawing 4% of the starting balance, then raising it with inflation, survived every historical 30-year period. It is a fine benchmark, but it assumes a 50–75% stock allocation, a 30-year horizon, no fees, and U.S. returns that may not repeat. Retiring at 55 with a 40-year horizon, paying 1% in fees, or holding mostly bonds all push the safe rate lower; flexible spending or a pension push it higher. The calculator lets you test those cases directly instead of guessing.

Sequence-of-returns risk

This calculator — like almost every free tool — assumes the same return every year. Real retirements are not smooth. Two retirees with the same average return can have completely different outcomes depending on whether the bad years arrive first or last. Withdrawing from a portfolio that has just fallen 30% locks in losses. The standard defences are a cash bucket of 1–2 years of spending, a flexible withdrawal rule that trims spending after down years, and delaying retirement or Social Security by a year if you retire into a bear market.

SavingsLast calculators are educational estimates. They assume a constant average return and steady inflation; real markets are volatile and sequence-of-returns risk can shorten how long money lasts. Nothing here is financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions.