At a steady 4% return, $200,000 lets you withdraw $1,211.96 a month for 20 years, or $954.83 for 30. This calculator finds that level amount for any balance, return and period. The last withdrawal empties the account.
Turn it around to see how long your money lasts. Here's how to read the result backwards, which return to enter, and what market falls, inflation and IRS minimums change.
How long will $200,000 last?
Here's $200,000 at a steady 4%, drawn down over six periods:
| Years to draw down | Monthly withdrawal | Total withdrawn |
|---|---|---|
| 10 yr | $2,024.90 | $242,988 |
| 15 yr | $1,479.38 | $266,288 |
| 20 yr | $1,211.96 | $290,871 |
| 25 yr | $1,055.67 | $316,702 |
| 30 yr | $954.83 | $343,739 |
| 40 yr | $835.88 | $401,221 |
Read the table backwards to see how long money lasts. Spend $1,055.67 a month, and $200,000 lasts 25 years. Spend $2,024.90, and it's gone in 10. Each extra decade lowers the withdrawal by less than the one before.
For amounts between the rows, this formula gives the number of months:
Say you need $1,000 a month. With i = 0.04 ÷ 12, P × i comes to $666.67, and 1 − 666.67 ÷ 1,000 = 0.3333. The formula then gives 330 months, about 27.5 years, between the table's 25- and 30-year rows.
The one withdrawal that never runs out
Take only the return, $200,000 × 4% ÷ 12 = $666.67 a month, and the balance never shrinks. At or below that amount, the money lasts forever in this steady-return model, so the formula has no answer. Even the 40-year row pays only $169.21 more.
What return should you assume?
Enter a return you can count on every year, after fees. For a savings account, that's the rate it pays. The FDIC's national rate for savings accounts was 0.37% in September 2026, a deposit-weighted average.
Monthly withdrawal from $200,000 over 15 years
At five steady annual returns
At 0.37%, $200,000 pays $1,142 a month for 15 years, barely more than the $1,111 of a zero return. Invested at 6%, it pays $1,688. Higher returns come with ups and downs, though, and the calculator assumes none.
Why a fall early on costs more
The calculator gives every month the same return. Market returns swing, and once you're withdrawing, the timing of a fall matters. Take the 15-year plan from the first table: $1,479.38 a month. After 10 years, $80,329 is left, just enough for five more years.
| Scenario | Balance | Years left | Monthly withdrawal | Total withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan, no fall | $200,000 | 15 yr | $1,479.38 | $266,288 |
| 20% fall in the first month | $160,000 | 15 yr | $1,183.50 | $213,030 |
| Plan after 10 years, no fall | $80,329 | 5 yr | $1,479.38 | $88,763 |
| 20% fall after 10 years | $64,263 | 5 yr | $1,183.50 | $71,010 |
Either fall cuts the withdrawal that lasts to the end by 20%, to $1,183.50. A fall in the first month hits all 180 withdrawals and costs $53,258 in total ($266,288 − $213,030). After 10 years, only 60 withdrawals are left. The same 20% fall then costs $17,753 ($88,763 − $71,010).
So after a big fall, re-run the calculator with your new balance and the years left. The sooner you adjust, the smaller each cut needs to be.
Keeping pace with prices means starting lower
A level withdrawal buys less each year. Over the 12 months to August 2026, consumer prices rose 3.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Federal Reserve aims for 2% inflation over the longer run, measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index.
To plan withdrawals that rise with prices, enter the real return instead: (1 + return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1. At 4% and 2% inflation, that's 1.04 ÷ 1.02 − 1 = 1.96%.
| Plan for $200,000 over 15 years at a 4% return | Rate you enter | First monthly withdrawal |
|---|---|---|
| Level, never raised | 4% | $1,479.38 |
| Rising with 2% inflation | 1.96% | $1,283.34 |
| Rising with 3.4% inflation | 0.58% | $1,160.41 |
The result is your first month's withdrawal, which you then raise in step with prices. At 3.4% inflation, you'd start at about $1,160 instead of $1,479.38, but your buying power would hold. The real rate of return calculator works out the rate for you.
Required minimum distributions start at 73
Under US tax rules as of 2026, savings in a traditional IRA or 401(k) come with a floor. The IRS says you generally have to start taking withdrawals when you reach age 73. For an IRA, the first required minimum distribution (RMD) is due by April 1 of the following year.
Each year's RMD starts from the balance at the end of the previous year. You divide it by a distribution period from the IRS's Uniform Lifetime Table. The RMD calculator does the division for you. You can withdraw more than the minimum. Take less, and you may owe a 25% excise tax on the shortfall.
So if your planned withdrawal is below the RMD, take the RMD. Roth IRAs need no withdrawals while the owner is alive. From traditional accounts, the IRS says, withdrawals count as taxable income, except any part that was taxed before. The calculator's figures are before tax.
Check the plan once a year
The steady return is only a planning assumption. Once a year, enter your actual balance and the years you still want covered. The new result shows whether to trim your withdrawal or raise it.
Also plan for a long life. Investor.gov describes longevity risk as the risk of outliving your assets, and says a pension's lifetime annuity protects against it. If you have no pension, the immediate annuity calculator helps you judge an insurer's lifetime-income quote.
Sources
- IRS, Retirement topics – Required minimum distributions (RMDs) (last reviewed April 8, 2026)
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), National Rate: Savings, source FDIC (September 2026 observation, updated September 21, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index – August 2026 (September 11, 2026)
- Federal Reserve, Why does the Federal Reserve aim for inflation of 2 percent over the longer run? (updated August 22, 2025)
- SEC Investor.gov, Managing Lifetime Income