Guides

The questions behind the calculators, answered properly. Each guide carries the calculator itself, so you can stop reading and run your own number at any point.

What Is the 4% Rule for Retirement?The 4% rule explained: where it came from, what it actually promises, the four assumptions that break it, and what researchers say the safe rate is now.Safe Withdrawal Rate for 2026Morningstar puts the 2026 safe starting withdrawal rate at 3.9% for a 30-year retirement. What that assumes, how it has moved since 2021, and what changes it.Retirement Withdrawal Strategies ComparedFixed real, fixed percentage, guardrails, the RMD method and buckets — what each strategy does to your income, and which one suits which retiree.