Calculate the exact portfolio size you need to retire based on your annual expenses and withdrawal rate. See how many years it takes at your current savings pace.
Your expected yearly spending after retirement
4% is the classic 'safe' withdrawal rate (Trinity Study)
Total investable assets today
Amount you add to investments each year
Historical US equity average ~10%; blended ~7–8%
Your retirement number is the total portfolio value at which you can stop working and live off investment returns alone. The most common framework is the 4% rule: your number = annual expenses ÷ 0.04 (i.e., 25× annual spending). At this corpus, a 4% annual withdrawal has historically lasted 30+ years in most market scenarios.
The Trinity Study (1998) analyzed US market data from 1926–1995 and found that a 4% withdrawal rate on a 50/50 stock-bond portfolio had a 95%+ success rate over 30 years. At 3% you get near certainty; at 5%+ the risk of depleting the portfolio rises significantly, especially in early retirement.
4% is standard for a 30-year retirement. If you plan to retire early (40+ year horizon) or are conservative, 3–3.5% provides more buffer. If you have social security or a pension, you may be able to use a higher rate for portfolio withdrawals.
No — this calculator assumes your portfolio is the sole income source. If you'll receive social security, subtract that annual amount from your expense figure to get the portfolio-specific target.
US stocks have returned ~10% nominal historically, ~7% real (after inflation). A balanced 60/40 portfolio returns ~7–8% nominal. For conservatism, use 6–7% to avoid optimistic projections.