Can I retire on $3 million?

$3 million at 4.0% is $120,000 in year one. This page answers whether that covers a specific spend and how often 1,000 paths last 35 years.

The answer on these inputs

$3 million produces $120,000 in year one at 4.0%. Against $100,000 of spending that is 120% coverage — the first-year withdrawal funds the spend. A constant 5.0% return still has money at year 35. Across 1,000 seeded paths the spend lasts the full horizon in 62% of worlds; the 10th-to-90th ending range is $0 to $15,144,303.

$3 million by retirement age

Funding $100,000 a year from age 60, $3 million lasts to 95 in 62% of paths on cautious returns and 82% on Trinity-style returns. Waiting until 70 raises that to 83% and 96%; starting at 50 drops it to 46% and 72%. For 9 in 10 paths to last from 65, spending has to stay near $73,000 to $102,000 a year, which is $6,083 to $8,500 a month.

$3 million spending $100,000 a year, planned to age 95 across 1,000 simulated paths
Retire atYears fundedLasts: cautiousLasts: Trinity-style9-in-10 spend: cautious9-in-10 spend: Trinity-style
455041%66%$43,000$70,500
504546%72%$46,500$73,000
554053%76%$53,000$81,000
603562%82%$58,000$86,000
653072%91%$73,000$102,000
702583%96%$86,500$115,000

Cautious is 5% return, 15% volatility and 2% inflation, a stress case below long-run market history. Trinity-style is the Trinity study calculator's 7%, 12% and 3%.

Change the inputs

First-year income at the rate$120,000
Coverage of the spend120%
Years the spend lasts35+
1,000-path success62%

Other nest eggs

From 65 on Trinity-style returns, $3 million holds about $102,000 a year in 9 of 10 paths. $2 million holds $65,500; $5 million holds $166,000. Can I retire on $500,000, $750,000, $1 million, $1.5 million, $2 million, $5 million?

Frequently asked questions

Can I retire on $3 million?
At 4%, $3 million produces a first-year withdrawal of about $120,000. In this page’s 1,000 simulated paths, $100,000 a year from age 65 lasts to 95 in 91% of them on Trinity-style returns (7% return, 12% volatility) and 72% on cautious ones (5%, 15%).