Find out how long savings last when you draw a regular monthly income from them, and how much you could take without running out.
Written by the CalcTortoise editorial team · How we work
Money left after 25 years
$142,637
Total withdrawn
$960,909
Total returns earned
$603,546
Monthly withdrawal in the final year
$4,021
Illustration only, not investment, tax or legal advice. Returns are assumed, not predicted.
What moves the result most?
To keep your $500,000 intact, withdraw up to $2,500 a month (with no yearly increase).
To use it all up in exactly 25 years, start at $2,671 a month, rising 2% a year.
Where the money ends up
Paid to you$960,909(87.1%)
Left in the fund$142,637(12.9%)
Paid out so far, and money left, each yearPaid to you so farLeft in the fund
Year-by-year withdrawals
Year
Monthly withdrawal
Withdrawn
Returns
Balance
Year 1
$2,500
$30,000
$30,000
$500,000
Year 2
$2,550
$30,600
$29,983
$499,383
Year 3
$2,601
$31,212
$29,928
$498,099
Year 4
$2,653
$31,836
$29,831
$496,094
Year 5
$2,706
$32,473
$29,690
$493,311
Year 6
$2,760
$33,122
$29,500
$489,689
Year 7
$2,815
$33,785
$29,258
$485,163
Year 8
$2,872
$34,461
$28,960
$479,662
Year 9
$2,929
$35,150
$28,602
$473,114
Year 10
$2,988
$35,853
$28,178
$465,439
Year 11
$3,047
$36,570
$27,685
$456,554
Year 12
$3,108
$37,301
$27,116
$446,369
Year 13
$3,171
$38,047
$26,467
$434,789
Year 14
$3,234
$38,808
$25,732
$421,712
Year 15
$3,299
$39,584
$24,903
$407,031
Year 16
$3,365
$40,376
$23,976
$390,631
Year 17
$3,432
$41,184
$22,942
$372,389
Year 18
$3,501
$42,007
$21,793
$352,175
Year 19
$3,571
$42,847
$20,523
$329,851
Year 20
$3,642
$43,704
$19,122
$305,269
Year 21
$3,715
$44,578
$17,582
$278,272
Year 22
$3,789
$45,470
$15,892
$248,694
Year 23
$3,865
$46,379
$14,042
$216,357
Year 24
$3,942
$47,307
$12,022
$181,071
Year 25
$4,021
$48,253
$9,819
$142,637
How to use this calculator
Enter the amount you start with.
Enter the monthly withdrawal and its yearly increase.
Enter the expected return and the number of years.
Withdrawals at the start of each month, monthly growth on the rest: with these defaults, $142,637 remains after 25 years.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I withdraw each month?▾
The calculator shows two guides: the most you can take without reducing the capital, and the starting amount that would use the whole sum by the end of the period.
What if returns are lower?▾
At 4% instead of 6%, the same withdrawals run out after 20 years 8 months.
Should withdrawals rise each year?▾
Raising them in line with inflation keeps their buying power, but uses the money up faster. Try a yearly increase close to the inflation rate where you live.
Are taxes included?▾
No. How withdrawals are taxed depends on your country and the type of account.
Sources and method
Standard compound-interest formulas, tested against worked examples. Nothing here depends on outside data; the rates you type in are your own assumptions.
No outside data is used. The numbers you type in are the only inputs.