$700,000 at $30,000 a year, year by year
Starting at 65, the money runs out at age 102. The withdrawal grows 2% a year, so by year 20 it is $43,704; the balance earns 5% on what is left after each withdrawal.
| Year | Age | Balance at start | Withdrawal | Balance at end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 65 | $700,000 | $30,000 | $703,500 |
| 2 | 66 | $703,500 | $30,600 | $706,545 |
| 3 | 67 | $706,545 | $31,212 | $709,100 |
| 4 | 68 | $709,100 | $31,836 | $711,127 |
| 5 | 69 | $711,127 | $32,473 | $712,586 |
| 6 | 70 | $712,586 | $33,122 | $713,437 |
| 7 | 71 | $713,437 | $33,785 | $713,635 |
| 8 | 72 | $713,635 | $34,461 | $713,133 |
| 9 | 73 | $713,133 | $35,150 | $711,882 |
| 10 | 74 | $711,882 | $35,853 | $709,831 |
| 11 | 75 | $709,831 | $36,570 | $706,924 |
| 12 | 76 | $706,924 | $37,301 | $703,104 |
| 13 | 77 | $703,104 | $38,047 | $698,310 |
| 14 | 78 | $698,310 | $38,808 | $692,477 |
| 15 | 79 | $692,477 | $39,584 | $685,537 |
| 16 | 80 | $685,537 | $40,376 | $677,419 |
| 17 | 81 | $677,419 | $41,184 | $668,047 |
| 18 | 82 | $668,047 | $42,007 | $657,342 |
| 19 | 83 | $657,342 | $42,847 | $645,219 |
| 20 | 84 | $645,219 | $43,704 | $631,591 |
| 21 | 85 | $631,591 | $44,578 | $616,363 |
| 22 | 86 | $616,363 | $45,470 | $599,437 |
| 23 | 87 | $599,437 | $46,379 | $580,711 |
| 24 | 88 | $580,711 | $47,307 | $560,074 |
| 25 | 89 | $560,074 | $48,253 | $537,412 |
| 26 | 90 | $537,412 | $49,218 | $512,604 |
| 27 | 91 | $512,604 | $50,203 | $485,521 |
| 28 | 92 | $485,521 | $51,207 | $456,030 |
| 29 | 93 | $456,030 | $52,231 | $423,989 |
| 30 | 94 | $423,989 | $53,275 | $389,250 |
| 31 | 95 | $389,250 | $54,341 | $351,654 |
| 32 | 96 | $351,654 | $55,428 | $311,038 |
| 33 | 97 | $311,038 | $56,536 | $267,227 |
| 34 | 98 | $267,227 | $57,667 | $220,038 |
| 35 | 99 | $220,038 | $58,820 | $169,279 |
| 36 | 100 | $169,279 | $59,997 | $114,746 |
| 37 | 101 | $114,746 | $61,197 | $56,227 |
| 38 | 102 | $56,227 | $56,227 | $0 |
The odds $700,000 lasts at $30,000 a year
Returns arrive in a random order, and a few bad years early do the most damage. In 1,000 simulated markets, this is the share in which $30,000 a year, rising with inflation, still leaves money in the account after each number of years.
| For | Trinity-style (7%, 12%) | Cautious (5%, 15%) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 93% | 81% |
| 25 years | 81% | 62% |
| 30 years | 69% | 47% |
| 35 years | 58% | 38% |
| 40 years | 48% | 30% |
What other returns and inflation do
| Return | No raise | 2% raise | 3% raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | 39 years | 27 years | 24 years |
| 4% | 59 years | 31 years | 27 years |
| 5% | 60+ years | 38 years | 31 years |
| 6% | 60+ years | 56 years | 38 years |
| 7% | 60+ years | 60+ years | 55 years |
$30,000 a year from other balances
| Balance | Lasts |
|---|---|
| $300,000 | 12 years |
| $350,000 | 14 years |
| $400,000 | 17 years |
| $450,000 | 20 years |
| $500,000 | 23 years |
| $600,000 | 30 years |
| $700,000 | 38 years |
| $750,000 | 44 years |
| $800,000 | 50 years |
| $900,000 | 60+ years |
| $1 million | 60+ years |
Tax on a $30,000 withdrawal
From a traditional 401(k) or IRA, the whole withdrawal is ordinary income, and it can make more of your Social Security taxable. Federal tax it adds at 65 on 2026 rules, estimates:
| Household | Federal tax | Share of the withdrawal |
|---|---|---|
| Single, $24,000 of Social Security | $1,810 | 6% |
| Married, $42,000 of Social Security | $0 | 0% |
Roth withdrawals after 59½ and a five-year holding period are tax-free; money in a taxable account is taxed only on the gains. The retirement tax calculator adds state tax.
The calculator, set to these numbers
Taking $30,000 a year ($2,500 a month) from $700,000, raised 2.0% a year for inflation, at a steady 5.0% return, the money runs out in year 38, around age 102. To make it last exactly 30 years, you could start at $34,430 a year.
Other withdrawals from $700,000
| Withdrawal a year | A month | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $2,083 | 56 years |
| $30,000 | $2,500 | 38 years |
| $40,000 | $3,333 | 24 years |
| $50,000 | $4,167 | 18 years |
| $60,000 | $5,000 | 14 years |
| $70,000 | $5,833 | 12 years |
All withdrawals and the odds on one page: how long $700,000 lasts.
How it is worked out
The steady-return figures are the how-long calculator’s own math: the withdrawal comes out at the start of each year, the rest earns the return, and the next withdrawal is 2% larger to keep up with inflation. Real markets do not return the same every year, so the odds come from 1,000 simulated sequences of yearly returns: Trinity-style (7% average, 12% volatility, 3% inflation) and cautious (5%, 15%, 2%). Taxes and fees are not taken out; take them from the withdrawal you enter. More on the method on the methodology page.