BuildMyRetire · Calculator
How Long Will My Money Last?
Enter your retirement savings and expected return. The chart shows how much you could withdraw each month if you wanted your money to last exactly 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 years.
Savings at Retirement
Present Value
USD
Annual Return Rate
Expected Return
(if kept invested, e.g. in ETFs)
%/yr
Monthly Withdrawal by Time Horizon
Each bar shows the fixed amount you could withdraw every month if you wanted your savings to last exactly that many years — the longer the horizon, the smaller the monthly amount.
What each field means:
• Savings at Retirement — the total amount you expect to have saved once you stop working
• Annual Return Rate — the average annual return you expect while your remaining balance stays invested (e.g. in dividend ETFs), applied and compounded monthly
How to read the chart: each bar assumes the remaining balance keeps earning the return rate above, every month, until it’s withdrawn down to zero exactly at that time horizon. It doesn’t adjust for inflation — the monthly amount is treated as fixed.
Actual markets don’t move in a straight line — returns vary year to year, so your real result could differ from this estimate. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
• Savings at Retirement — the total amount you expect to have saved once you stop working
• Annual Return Rate — the average annual return you expect while your remaining balance stays invested (e.g. in dividend ETFs), applied and compounded monthly
How to read the chart: each bar assumes the remaining balance keeps earning the return rate above, every month, until it’s withdrawn down to zero exactly at that time horizon. It doesn’t adjust for inflation — the monthly amount is treated as fixed.
Actual markets don’t move in a straight line — returns vary year to year, so your real result could differ from this estimate. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
A quick, honest disclaimer: I’m not a licensed financial advisor, and this calculator isn’t personalized investment advice. It’s a planning tool I use and believe in, but your situation is your own — for anything specific to your finances, it’s worth talking to a qualified professional. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal, and past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.