The sustainable-withdrawal heuristic
The 4% rule suggests a portfolio survives 30+ years if you withdraw 4% initially, adjusted for inflation afterward. It is a planning heuristic, not a guarantee — sequence-of-returns risk still matters.
Retirement Calculator
Estimate whether current savings habits reach your retirement number using growth until retirement age.
Enter your details and press Calculate to see results.
Formula
Future value at retirement with monthly contributions, then 4% withdrawal rule for income
Example
$600/month from age 30 to 65 at 7% grows past $1.1M — supporting roughly $44k/year under the 4% rule.
Advertisement
Frequently asked questions
Should returns be before or after inflation?
Enter a nominal return and mentally discount results, or use a real return (e.g., 5%) to get today's-dollar figures.
What about Social Security or pensions?
This estimates investment-funded retirement only; add guaranteed income separately to your plan.
Related calculators
Mortgage Calculator
Estimate monthly mortgage payments including principal, interest, taxes and insurance for any home price.
Loan Calculator
Work out the monthly payment, total interest and total repayment for any personal or business loan.
Auto Loan Calculator
Estimate car payments from vehicle price, down payment, trade-in value, APR and term.
Compound Interest Calculator
Watch money grow with compounding — add regular contributions and choose any compounding frequency.
Credit Card Payoff Calculator
See how long a credit card balance takes to clear at your payment level and what you'll pay in interest.
Tip Calculator
Tip and total per person for any bill — split evenly among any group size.