About the Withdrawal Rate Calculator
How much can you take out of your savings each year without running out? This calculator tests a plan. Enter the size of the pot, the first year's withdrawal, the expected inflation, the investment return and how many years the money must last. It runs the plan year by year, increasing the withdrawal with inflation, and tells you whether the money lasts and what is left at the end. Type the starting pot, the first withdrawal, inflation, the return and the number of years and the retirement withdrawals appears at once, with a few related figures underneath, and you can copy the result with one tap. The sums run in your browser, so nothing you enter is uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Withdrawal Rate Calculator
- 1Enter the starting pot, the first withdrawal, inflation, the return and the number of years.
- 2Pick the units or options from the menus if the retirement withdrawals tool offers them.
- 3Read the retirement withdrawals in the large result box.
- 4Look at the extra rows for related figures.
- 5Press Copy result to keep the answer.
When you need the retirement withdrawals
Retirees and planners use it to explore the well-known 4 percent rule, which says that taking 4 percent of the starting pot in year one and adjusting for inflation has historically lasted 30 years. The tool lets you test your own numbers.
The result is sensitive to the return in the early years. A bad market just after retirement can sink a plan that looks fine on average. Try lower returns and higher inflation to see how much margin you have.
How the retirement withdrawals is worked out
Each year: take the withdrawal first, then the rest grows by the return. The next withdrawal is the last one increased by inflation. If the balance is less than a withdrawal, the money has run out. A pot of 1,000,000 with a first withdrawal of 40,000 (a 4 percent rate), 2 percent inflation and a 5 percent return lasts 30 years and leaves about 807,000. With a 60,000 first withdrawal (6 percent) and a 4 percent return, the pot runs out after 19 years.
Every answer on this page comes from that one rule, so you can check any result by hand with a calculator. The figures shown underneath, such as other units, are conversions of the same answer.
- Year-by-year test
- Inflation-linked withdrawals
- Ending balance or years lasted
Mistakes to avoid with retirement withdrawals
The model uses a single fixed return every year, not real market swings. It ignores tax, fees, pensions and other income. Withdrawals are taken at the start of each year. Treat the result as a guide and talk to an adviser before making decisions.
On phone and computer
On a phone, type into the boxes one after another and read the retirement withdrawals underneath; Copy result puts it on the clipboard for a message or a note. On a computer the inputs sit on the left and the answer on the right, so you can change one figure and watch the retirement withdrawals move. The withdrawal rate calculator works the same on both. A withdrawal rate must match your plan. Test your savings with the Retirement Calculator, check early-retirement ideas with the FIRE Calculator, and see rising prices with the Inflation Calculator.
Features
- Early returns matter most
- Test lower returns
- Not financial advice
- Clear messages when the retirement withdrawals inputs make no sense
- Copy the result with one tap
- Private: nothing is uploaded
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate retirement withdrawals?
Each year: take the withdrawal first, then the rest grows by the return. The next withdrawal is the last one increased by inflation. If the balance is less than a withdrawal, the money has run out. A pot of 1,000,000 with a first withdrawal of 40,000 (a 4 percent rate), 2 percent inflation and a 5 percent return lasts 30 years and leaves about 807,000. With a 60,000 first withdrawal (6 percent) and a 4 percent return, the pot runs out after 19 years.
What is the formula for retirement withdrawals?
Each year: take the withdrawal first, then the rest grows by the return. The next withdrawal is the last one increased by inflation. If the balance is less than a withdrawal, the money has run out. The withdrawal rate calculator applies it exactly and rounds only the displayed answer to six significant figures.
What is the 4 percent rule?
A rule of thumb from historic US data: withdraw 4 percent of the starting pot in the first year, then adjust for inflation, and the money has usually lasted 30 years.
Why test inflation?
Costs rise over time, so the withdrawal must grow to keep your spending power.
Can the pot grow while I withdraw?
Yes, if the return is higher than the withdrawal rate plus inflation.
Is this withdrawal rate calculator free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account and runs in your browser, so the numbers you type are not uploaded or stored.