Retirement Withdrawal Calculator

How long will your retirement savings last?

Estimate how long a starting retirement portfolio may last under fixed withdrawals, a fixed return, and optional inflation adjustment.

Calculate Your Retirement Withdrawals

Inspect the arithmetic

Fixed withdrawals. Fixed return. Year-by-year drawdown results.

Portfolio Assumptions

Need to project this first? Use the Simple Investment Calculator.

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Withdrawal Assumptions

Withdrawal type

Inflation Adjustment

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Shows balances in today's dollars. Does not increase withdrawals.

Results

Starting portfolio

$—

Estimated time until depleted

Annual withdrawal

$—

Starting withdrawal rate

Ending balance

$—

Ending balance in today's dollars

$—

Save, export & share scenario

Download the year-by-year table, save a snapshot image, or copy a restorable link to this scenario.

Projected Portfolio Balance Over Time

Nominal portfolio balance Inflation-adjusted balance
Year-by-year table

Each retirement year is a rollup of the selected withdrawal frequency. Investment growth and withdrawals are shown as totals for the year.

Year Starting balance Withdrawals Investment growth Ending balance Inflation-adjusted ending balance

What This Calculator Shows

This calculator models a fixed-withdrawal retirement drawdown. It applies a constant expected return, subtracts withdrawals at the selected frequency, and shows year-by-year balances, depletion timing, and ending value.

When inflation adjustment is turned on, the calculator also shows each future balance in today's dollars. Inflation changes the displayed purchasing power, not the withdrawal schedule.

What This Calculator Does Not Include

This is not a full retirement income planner. It does not model taxes, CPP, OAS, pensions, RRIF minimums, account sequencing, market volatility, or sequence-of-returns risk.

The result should be read as arithmetic under fixed assumptions, not as financial advice or a guaranteed safe withdrawal rate.

Inspect the arithmetic · Sequence of returns risk · Inflation-Adjusted Investment Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a safe withdrawal rate calculator?

Not exactly. This calculator can show the result of a withdrawal rate, but it does not prove that the rate is safe. A true safe-withdrawal analysis would need to account for market volatility, sequence-of-returns risk, inflation-indexed spending, taxes, and other income sources.

Does the calculator include inflation?

Yes, but only as a display adjustment. When the inflation toggle is turned on, the calculator shows the estimated portfolio balance in today’s dollars. It does not automatically increase withdrawals each year.

What does “nominal dollars” mean?

Nominal dollars are future dollars without adjusting for inflation. A portfolio balance of $500,000 twenty years from now may not have the same purchasing power as $500,000 today.

Does this calculator include CPP, OAS, pensions, or taxes?

No. This version only models withdrawals from a portfolio. It does not include government benefits, pension income, RRSP or RRIF rules, TFSA withdrawals, non-registered investment taxes, or personal income tax.

Why does withdrawal frequency matter?

Withdrawal frequency matters because investment growth and withdrawals occur over time. Monthly withdrawals produce a slightly different result than annual withdrawals because money is removed from the portfolio at different points during the year.

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Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational and informational purposes only. It uses simplified assumptions and does not provide financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Results depend entirely on the inputs provided and may not reflect real-world outcomes.

Disclaimer: All content on The Long Math — including articles, essays, calculators, tools, or any other material — is provided solely for educational and informational purposes and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Any results or projections are based on simplified models, assumptions, and user-supplied inputs and may not reflect real-world outcomes. You are responsible for evaluating the accuracy and applicability of the information provided and for conducting your own due diligence. Before making financial decisions, consult a qualified professional.