Nest Egg Longevity Calculator
You hit your number — now what? Set the pot you retire with, choose how much you draw each year, and see exactly how long the money lasts and at what age it would run dry.
Your numbers
= $40,000 in year one, then rising with inflation
Withdrawals grow at this rate so your spending power stays flat.
Results update instantly as you type. Inputs are remembered in your browser only.
Your money keeps going for
52 years
Until the balance hits zero
Age the pot runs dry
117
At this withdrawal level
First-year withdrawal
$40,000
4.00% of the portfolio · $3,333 / month
Total you get to spend
$4,176,546
Over 52 years, inflation-adjusted
A withdrawal of about $35,000 per year (3.5% of the pot) would live off real growth alone and leave the balance intact.
Educational projection using a constant annual return and inflation-linked withdrawals. It ignores taxes, fees, pensions, market sequence risk and variable spending. Not retirement advice.
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Turn your pot into income
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Portfolio balance through retirement
Year-by-year drawdown
| Year | Age | Withdrawal | Growth | Ending balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65 | $40,000 | $57,600 | $1,017,600 |
| 2 | 66 | $41,000 | $58,596 | $1,035,196 |
| 3 | 67 | $42,025 | $59,590 | $1,052,761 |
| 4 | 68 | $43,076 | $60,581 | $1,070,267 |
| 5 | 69 | $44,153 | $61,567 | $1,087,681 |
| 6 | 70 | $45,256 | $62,545 | $1,104,970 |
| 7 | 71 | $46,388 | $63,515 | $1,122,097 |
| 8 | 72 | $47,547 | $64,473 | $1,139,023 |
| 9 | 73 | $48,736 | $65,417 | $1,155,704 |
| 10 | 74 | $49,955 | $66,345 | $1,172,095 |
| 11 | 75 | $51,203 | $67,253 | $1,188,145 |
| 12 | 76 | $52,483 | $68,140 | $1,203,801 |
| 13 | 77 | $53,796 | $69,000 | $1,219,006 |
| 14 | 78 | $55,140 | $69,832 | $1,233,697 |
| 15 | 79 | $56,519 | $70,631 | $1,247,809 |
| 16 | 80 | $57,932 | $71,393 | $1,261,270 |
| 17 | 81 | $59,380 | $72,113 | $1,274,003 |
| 18 | 82 | $60,865 | $72,788 | $1,285,926 |
| 19 | 83 | $62,386 | $73,412 | $1,296,952 |
| 20 | 84 | $63,946 | $73,980 | $1,306,987 |
| 21 | 85 | $65,545 | $74,487 | $1,315,929 |
| 22 | 86 | $67,183 | $74,925 | $1,323,670 |
| 23 | 87 | $68,863 | $75,288 | $1,330,096 |
| 24 | 88 | $70,584 | $75,571 | $1,335,082 |
| 25 | 89 | $72,349 | $75,764 | $1,338,497 |
| 26 | 90 | $74,158 | $75,860 | $1,340,199 |
| 27 | 91 | $76,012 | $75,851 | $1,340,039 |
| 28 | 92 | $77,912 | $75,728 | $1,337,854 |
| 29 | 93 | $79,860 | $75,480 | $1,333,474 |
| 30 | 94 | $81,856 | $75,097 | $1,326,715 |
| 31 | 95 | $83,903 | $74,569 | $1,317,381 |
| 32 | 96 | $86,000 | $73,883 | $1,305,264 |
| 33 | 97 | $88,150 | $73,027 | $1,290,140 |
| 34 | 98 | $90,354 | $71,987 | $1,271,773 |
| 35 | 99 | $92,613 | $70,750 | $1,249,910 |
| 36 | 100 | $94,928 | $69,299 | $1,224,281 |
| 37 | 101 | $97,301 | $67,619 | $1,194,598 |
| 38 | 102 | $99,734 | $65,692 | $1,160,556 |
| 39 | 103 | $102,227 | $63,500 | $1,121,829 |
| 40 | 104 | $104,783 | $61,023 | $1,078,068 |
| 41 | 105 | $107,403 | $58,240 | $1,028,906 |
| 42 | 106 | $110,088 | $55,129 | $973,947 |
| 43 | 107 | $112,840 | $51,666 | $912,774 |
| 44 | 108 | $115,661 | $47,827 | $844,940 |
| 45 | 109 | $118,552 | $43,583 | $769,971 |
| 46 | 110 | $121,516 | $38,907 | $687,362 |
| 47 | 111 | $124,554 | $33,768 | $596,576 |
| 48 | 112 | $127,668 | $28,135 | $497,043 |
| 49 | 113 | $130,860 | $21,971 | $388,154 |
| 50 | 114 | $134,131 | $15,241 | $269,265 |
| 51 | 115 | $137,484 | $7,907 | $139,687 |
| 52 | 116 | $139,687 | $0 | $0 |
About this calculator
The 4% rule is a starting point, not a law. It came from research showing that a balanced portfolio could support an initial 4% withdrawal, raised each year with inflation, for about thirty years. This calculator lets you test that assumption against your own numbers instead of taking it on faith.
The single most powerful lever is the gap between your return and inflation. If your portfolio earns 6% while prices rise 2.5%, real growth is roughly 3.5% — so withdrawing much above that slowly eats into capital, and withdrawing below it lets the pot keep growing while you spend from it.
Watch how the depletion age moves as you nudge the withdrawal rate. Going from 4% to 5% often removes a decade or more of portfolio life, which is why retirees who stay flexible — trimming spending in bad years — tend to fare far better than a fixed schedule suggests.
Remember that real markets do not deliver a smooth return. A poor run of years early in retirement does far more damage than the same years later on, a risk this constant-return model deliberately leaves out for clarity.
FAQ
How long will my money last at a 4% withdrawal rate?
With a 4% starting withdrawal that rises with inflation, a portfolio earning more than inflation over the long run typically lasts thirty years or more. This calculator shows the exact year your balance would hit zero under the constant return you enter.
Can I withdraw more than 4%?
You can, but the portfolio depletes faster. Try 5% or 6% and watch the depletion age move: every extra percentage point of withdrawal usually costs several years of portfolio life.
Does the model account for inflation?
Yes. Your first-year withdrawal is increased every year by the inflation rate you set, so your spending power stays constant while the required dollar withdrawal grows.
Why does my balance sometimes never run out?
When your return exceeds inflation by more than your withdrawal rate, growth outpaces spending and the portfolio is self-sustaining. That result assumes a steady return every single year, which real markets do not deliver.