Is $900,000 enough to retire?
$900,000 produces $36,000 in year one at 4.0%. Against $46,000 of spending that is 78% coverage — the spend is larger than a 4% (or chosen) withdrawal. A constant 5.0% return exhausts the portfolio in year 29. Across 1,000 seeded paths the spend lasts the full horizon in 22% of worlds; the 10th-to-90th ending range is $0 to $1,320,177. To see how long $900,000 lasts at other spending levels, with Social Security and taxes, use the how long will my money last calculator.
How much income will $900,000 generate?
A withdrawal rate turns a nest egg into income. The higher the rate, the more you spend now and the sooner the money can run out. Years shown at a steady 5% return, with the withdrawal raised 2.0% a year for inflation.
| Withdrawal rate | A year | A month | Lasts at a 5% return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0% | $27,000 | $2,250 | more than 60 years |
| 3.5% | $31,500 | $2,625 | 59 years |
| 4.0% | $36,000 | $3,000 | 44 years |
| 4.5% | $40,500 | $3,375 | 35 years |
| 5.0% | $45,000 | $3,750 | 30 years |
$900,000 plus Social Security
Social Security pays beside the portfolio, so the nest egg only has to cover the gap. Monthly income with a 4% withdrawal and benefits claimed at 67, using the estimates from Social Security’s own formula for a steady career:
| Household | Social Security | From $900,000 | Total a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single, $50,000 career | $2,054 | $3,000 | $5,054 |
| Single, $75,000 career | $2,694 | $3,000 | $5,694 |
| Couple, one $100,000 career and a spousal benefit | $4,998 | $3,000 | $7,998 |
| Couple, two $60,000 careers | $4,620 | $3,000 | $7,620 |
Withdrawals from a traditional IRA or 401(k) are taxable income, so the spendable amount is lower: see the tax on a $40,000 401(k) withdrawal or the retirement taxes pages for your state.
How long will $900,000 last in retirement?
Years $900,000 lasts at a steady return, with the withdrawal raised 2.0% a year for inflation. Taking 4%, $36,000 a year, at a 5% return lasts 44 years. Social Security or a pension lowers what the portfolio has to pay, so only the gap counts.
| Withdrawal a year | 4% return | 5% return | 6% return | 7% return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $27,000 (3%) | 53 years | 60+ years | 60+ years | 60+ years |
| $36,000 (4%) | 34 years | 44 years | 60+ years | 60+ years |
| $45,000 (5%) | 26 years | 30 years | 37 years | 57 years |
| $54,000 (6%) | 20 years | 23 years | 26 years | 32 years |
Every round withdrawal, with the balance year by year and the odds in 1,000 simulated markets: how long $900,000 lasts.
$900,000 by retirement age
Funding $46,000 a year from age 60, $900,000 lasts to 95 in 22% of paths on cautious returns and 33% on Trinity-style returns. Waiting until 70 raises that to 42% and 60%; starting at 50 drops it to 14% and 24%. For 9 in 10 paths to last from 65, spending has to stay near $19,500 to $28,500 a year, which is $1,625 to $2,375 a month.
| Retire at | Years funded | Lasts: cautious | Lasts: Trinity-style | 9-in-10 spend: cautious | 9-in-10 spend: Trinity-style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 50 | 10% | 18% | $11,500 | $19,500 |
| 50 | 45 | 14% | 24% | $13,500 | $21,000 |
| 55 | 40 | 17% | 28% | $14,500 | $23,000 |
| 60 | 35 | 22% | 33% | $17,500 | $25,500 |
| 65 | 30 | 31% | 45% | $19,500 | $28,500 |
| 70 | 25 | 42% | 60% | $25,000 | $34,000 |
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%.
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Other nest eggs
From 65 on Trinity-style returns, $900,000 holds about $28,500 a year in 9 of 10 paths. $850,000 holds $28,500; $1 million holds $32,500. Is it enough to retire on $100,000, $150,000, $200,000, $250,000, $300,000, $350,000, $400,000, $450,000, $500,000, $600,000, $650,000, $700,000, $750,000, $800,000, $850,000, $1 million, $1.1 million, $1.2 million, $1.25 million, $1.3 million, $1.4 million, $1.5 million, $1.6 million, $1.75 million, $1.8 million, $2 million, $2.2 million, $2.5 million, $3 million, $3.5 million, $4 million, $4.5 million, $5 million, $6 million, $7 million, $8 million, $10 million?