Savings withdrawal planning

How Long Will My Savings Last? Calculator

Estimate how long a balance may support recurring withdrawals and compare the result with a chosen target duration.

Starting savings balance Use the balance available to support the modeled withdrawals.

Starting monthly withdrawal The first 12 modeled withdrawals use this amount.

Annual return or savings yield

Use 0% to exclude growth. Investment returns are not constant in real life.

Annual withdrawal change

Applied after each 12-month period. Enter 0% for a fixed withdrawal or a negative percentage to model a planned decrease.

Target duration in years

Additional target months The target must be at least one month and no more than 100 years.

Results will appear after valid values are entered.

How long the current withdrawal plan lasts

The model applies the entered annual return as an equivalent monthly rate, then makes the withdrawal at month-end. The withdrawal change steps once every 12 months.

Savings lasts — Modeled time before the balance reaches zero

Estimated depletion — Based on the current month and modeled duration

Total withdrawals — Amount withdrawn before modeled depletion

Growth during drawdown — Modeled return or loss before depletion

Compare the chosen target duration

The first two cards show the entered withdrawal plan at the target date. The last two solve for an initial monthly withdrawal that would mathematically use the balance by the end of the target period under the same smooth return and withdrawal-change assumptions.

Balance after target — Current withdrawal plan at the chosen duration

Withdrawn through target — Cumulative modeled withdrawals under the current plan

Starting withdrawal for target — Mechanical drawdown estimate, not a safe withdrawal rate

Withdrawal in final target year — Applies the entered annual withdrawal change

Balance path

The table shows selected year-end balances for the current withdrawal plan. When the balance lasts beyond 10 years, later rows are shown in five-year steps to keep the table manageable.

Modeled savings balance during recurring withdrawals
Time	Monthly withdrawal	Remaining balance	Cumulative withdrawals
Enter valid values to build the balance path.

Important limits of the estimate

A constant return creates a smooth mathematical path. Investments can gain or lose value from month to month and year to year. Withdrawals made during a market decline can produce a different outcome even when a long-term average return eventually resembles the number entered here.

The model does not include investment fees, taxes, retirement-account withdrawal rules, pensions, Social Security, required distributions, account penalties, or changes to the asset mix. It also does not decide how much spending is appropriate.

For bank savings, the entered yield is assumed to remain constant even though actual deposit rates can change. For investments, treat the return as a scenario rather than a guarantee.

For educational purposes only. Results are estimates based on constant return and withdrawal-change assumptions. Actual savings rates, investment returns, inflation, taxes, fees, account rules, market volatility, and spending needs may differ. Review the Calculator Methodology for shared assumptions, rounding, payoff timing, and privacy-conscious analytics details.