Plan a systematic withdrawal from your 401(k), IRA or brokerage account. See how long your nest egg lasts with inflation raises — and how your plan compares with the 4% rule.
US dollars
3% inflation default
4% rule check
Free, no sign-up
SWP calculator
Your projection
Your money lasts the full 30 years, and you still have $1,332,910 left — more than you started with.
Oct 2026Plan length 30 years
You will withdraw
$1,902,826
$1,180,864 in today’s money
Money left at the end
$1,332,910
$549,141 in today’s money
Growth earned
$2,235,736
Show more details
Total investment
$1,000,000
Invested Oct 2026
Withdrawal rate
4%
$39,996 a year
Final corpus
$1,332,910
At Oct 2056
Final corpus in today's money
$549,141
After 3% a year inflation
$3,333 per month, rising 3% a year, at 6% expected return. Estimates, not guarantees.
Blue: money in your account. Orange: total taken out. Purple: what your balance is really worth after inflation.
Smart suggestions
Quick answers to “how much can I safely take out?”
Most you can take out monthly for 30 years
Uses up all the money exactly at the end, with the same 3% yearly increase.
$4,280
Take out only the growth
Your original $1M stays untouched after 30 years.
$3,570
Keep your money's buying power
You end with $2.43M — worth the same as $1M today after 3% inflation.
$2,555
Is your withdrawal rate safe?
Yes — at or below the popular 4% rule of thumb for a 30-year retirement.
4%
Advanced analysis
Stress test and side-by-side comparison.
How long will my money last?
What if returns are lower, or you withdraw more? Each box shows how many years your money lasts. Your plan is outlined.
Capped at 50 years
Return ↓ / withdrawal →
$2.5K
$3K
$3.33K
$3.67K
$4.17K
2%
short of plan, 29.3 yrs
short of plan, 25 yrs
short of plan, 22.8 yrs
short of plan, 20.8 yrs
short of plan, 18.6 yrs
4%
41.6 yrs
33.3 yrs
short of plan, 29.4 yrs
short of plan, 26.3 yrs
short of plan, 22.8 yrs
6%
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
48.1 yrs
39.4 yrs
31.4 yrs
8%
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
10%
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
50+ yrs
Compare scenarios
Saved on this device only. Up to four.
Year-by-year breakdown
Every year — or every month — of your plan.
Year-by-year SWP schedule
Year
Opening balance
Withdrawn
Returns
Closing balance
Closing (today's money)
Yr 1 · Oct 2026
$1,000,000
$39,996
$60,354
$1,020,358
$990,639
Yr 2 · Oct 2027
$1,020,358
$41,196
$61,570
$1,040,732
$980,989
Yr 3 · Oct 2028
$1,040,732
$42,432
$62,785
$1,061,085
$971,043
Yr 4 · Oct 2029
$1,061,085
$43,705
$63,999
$1,081,379
$960,791
Yr 5 · Oct 2030
$1,081,379
$45,016
$65,207
$1,101,570
$950,224
Yr 6 · Oct 2031
$1,101,570
$46,366
$66,408
$1,121,612
$939,332
Yr 7 · Oct 2032
$1,121,612
$47,757
$67,598
$1,141,452
$928,105
Yr 8 · Oct 2033
$1,141,452
$49,190
$68,774
$1,161,036
$916,532
Yr 9 · Oct 2034
$1,161,036
$50,666
$69,933
$1,180,303
$904,604
Yr 10 · Oct 2035
$1,180,303
$52,186
$71,071
$1,199,188
$892,309
Yr 11 · Oct 2036
$1,199,188
$53,751
$72,184
$1,217,621
$879,635
Yr 12 · Oct 2037
$1,217,621
$55,364
$73,267
$1,235,525
$866,572
Yr 13 · Oct 2038
$1,235,525
$57,025
$74,317
$1,252,817
$853,107
Yr 14 · Oct 2039
$1,252,817
$58,735
$75,327
$1,269,408
$839,228
Yr 15 · Oct 2040
$1,269,408
$60,498
$76,292
$1,285,202
$824,922
Yr 16 · Oct 2041
$1,285,202
$62,312
$77,206
$1,300,095
$810,176
Yr 17 · Oct 2042
$1,300,095
$64,182
$78,062
$1,313,976
$794,977
Yr 18 · Oct 2043
$1,313,976
$66,107
$78,855
$1,326,723
$779,310
Yr 19 · Oct 2044
$1,326,723
$68,091
$79,575
$1,338,208
$763,161
Yr 20 · Oct 2045
$1,338,208
$70,133
$80,216
$1,348,291
$746,516
Yr 21 · Oct 2046
$1,348,291
$72,237
$80,768
$1,356,822
$729,359
Yr 22 · Oct 2047
$1,356,822
$74,404
$81,223
$1,363,640
$711,674
Yr 23 · Oct 2048
$1,363,640
$76,636
$81,569
$1,368,573
$693,445
Yr 24 · Oct 2049
$1,368,573
$78,936
$81,798
$1,371,435
$674,655
Yr 25 · Oct 2050
$1,371,435
$81,304
$81,896
$1,372,027
$655,288
Yr 26 · Oct 2051
$1,372,027
$83,743
$81,851
$1,370,136
$635,325
Yr 27 · Oct 2052
$1,370,136
$86,255
$81,652
$1,365,533
$614,748
Yr 28 · Oct 2053
$1,365,533
$88,843
$81,282
$1,357,972
$593,538
Yr 29 · Oct 2054
$1,357,972
$91,508
$80,728
$1,347,192
$571,676
Yr 30 · Oct 2055
$1,347,192
$94,253
$79,972
$1,332,910
$549,141
Total
$1,902,826
$2,235,736
$1,332,910
$549,141
A systematic withdrawal plan calculator for US retirees
In the US, a systematic withdrawal plan (SWP) is a standing instruction to sell a fixed dollar amount from a mutual fund or brokerage account every month or quarter — the same thing many retirees do manually from a 401(k) or IRA. This SWP calculator for the USA starts in dollars with a 3% inflation assumption (close to the long-run US CPI average) and shows how long your savings last, how much you withdraw in total and what is left in today’s dollars.
The 4% rule, tested
The “4% rule” comes from financial planner William Bengen’s 1994 study and the later Trinity study: withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year one, raise the dollar amount with inflation each year, and a stock-bond portfolio historically lasted at least 30 years. Here is what it looks like for a $1,000,000 portfolio returning 6% with 3% inflation:
Starting withdrawal
Lasts 30 years?
Balance after 30 years
Final monthly withdrawal
4% — $3,333/month
Yes
$1.33M ($549K in today’s dollars)
$7,854
5% — $4,167/month
Yes, just
$159K
$9,820
Maximum for exactly 30 years
—
$0
Starts at $4,280/month
A constant 6% return is kinder than real markets, where a bad first decade (sequence-of-returns risk) can sink a 5% plan. Use the “How long will my money last?” grid to see your plan at 2–4 points lower returns.
Taxes on withdrawals in the US
Traditional 401(k) and IRA: every withdrawal is ordinary income; required minimum distributions (RMDs) begin at age 73 for most people today.
Roth IRA / Roth 401(k): qualified withdrawals are tax-free.
Taxable brokerage accounts: only the gain on shares sold is taxed — at long-term capital-gains rates of 0%, 15% or 20% for shares held over a year.
Enter withdrawals before or after tax consistently, and confirm current rules with a tax professional.
Building the portfolio behind the plan
Most US retirees fund withdrawals from a mix of stocks and bonds; a classic choice is a 60/40 stock-bond mix that shifts gradually towards bonds as you approach retirement. Check a fund’s long-term track record before choosing your return assumption.
Projections assume constant returns; they are estimates, not guarantees.
FAQ
Retirement withdrawals in the US: common questions
What is a systematic withdrawal plan in the US?
A systematic withdrawal plan is an instruction to your fund company or broker to sell a fixed dollar amount of your investments on a regular schedule — usually monthly or quarterly — and send it to your bank account, while the rest stays invested.
Does the 4% rule still work?
As a starting point, yes. Historical US data show a 4% inflation-adjusted withdrawal from a balanced portfolio lasted 30 years in every period studied, though some researchers now suggest 3.5–4% for longer retirements or lower expected returns. Test your own numbers in the calculator’s sensitivity grid.
How long will $1 million last in retirement?
At a 6% return and 3% inflation, $1 million funding $3,333 a month (4%) rising with inflation lasts more than 30 years and still leaves about $1.33 million. At $5,000 a month rising with inflation it runs out after about 23 years and 8 months. Enter your own figures above to see your exact timeline.
Should I withdraw monthly or quarterly?
The total effect is small. Monthly withdrawals match household bills; quarterly or yearly withdrawals leave money invested slightly longer. Switch the frequency in the calculator to compare — the difference over 30 years is usually under 2% of the final balance.