Retirement Longevity Calculator
How Long Will My Money Last Calculator
Enter what you have saved, what you expect it to earn, and what you plan to take out each year. We will show you how many years and months it lasts, and the balance at the end of every year.
Your result
Press calculate to see how long your savings last.
Year-by-year balance
| Year | Withdrawal | End balance |
|---|---|---|
| Your projection will appear here. | ||
How this calculator works
This calculator answers the most common retirement question in its simplest form: if you stop working today, how long does the pot last? It starts with your current savings, grows the balance each year by the annual return you enter, then subtracts one year of withdrawals. Because most retirees want their spending to keep pace with rising prices, the withdrawal itself grows each year by the inflation rate you enter. A $40,000 withdrawal at 3% inflation becomes about $53,700 after ten years, and that steady creep is exactly why inflation belongs in the calculation. Leave it out, and almost every plan looks safer than it really is.
The math is a simple loop, not a forecast. Each year: new balance = (old balance × (1 + return)) − this year's withdrawal. The calculator repeats that until the balance cannot cover a full year's withdrawal, then works out the remaining months from the partial year. That gives you the "years and months" figure at the top, plus the table showing the balance gliding down year by year. If your balance keeps growing instead of shrinking, your withdrawals are below what your investments earn, and the money lasts indefinitely on these assumptions; the calculator will tell you that too, and cap the table at 60 years.
Practical tips for using your result
First, test a bad decade, not just an average one. Run the numbers again at a return 2 points lower than you expect. If the money still lasts into your late 80s or 90s, your plan has a margin of safety. Second, compare your withdrawal to the classic 4% guideline: withdrawing 4% of your starting balance, adjusted for inflation, has historically lasted about 30 years in most market conditions. If your planned withdrawal is 6% or 7% of savings, expect a noticeably shorter runway. Third, remember what this leaves out: taxes on withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts, Social Security or pension income that reduces what you need to withdraw, healthcare costs, and the order in which markets deliver good and bad years. Treat the result as the starting point of a plan, then stress-test it from a few directions before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
What annual return should I enter?
Use a cautious, long-run figure for your mix of investments: roughly 6–7% for a balanced stock-and-bond portfolio before inflation, less for mostly bonds or cash. Then rerun it 2 points lower to see how much margin you have.
Does this include Social Security?
Not directly. If you expect Social Security or a pension, subtract that annual income from the withdrawal amount you enter. That shows what your savings alone need to cover.
Why does inflation shorten the result so much?
Because your withdrawals grow every year while a fixed return may not keep up. At 3% inflation, the amount you need doubles in about 24 years, which is well within a normal retirement.
What if my money never runs out in the result?
It means your expected return covers your inflation-adjusted withdrawals on paper. That is a strong position, but it still assumes a steady return every year, which real markets do not deliver.