Withdrawal Calculator: how long does your capital last?
Enter your capital, desired monthly withdrawal, an expected return, and inflation — the calculator shows the capital trajectory.
Simplified model with fixed return and inflation, not investment advice. Simulated over a 40-year horizon.
Your capital is depleted after roughly 38 years.
Monthly withdrawal: €1,800.00 in today's purchasing power, increased each year with inflation.
Duration
38 years
Capital at the end
€0.00
Total withdrawn
€1,212,083.00
How it works
The withdrawal plan in detail
What determines how long your capital lasts.
Withdrawal vs. return
As long as the return roughly offsets the withdrawal, capital stays stable — if withdrawals permanently exceed returns, capital declines.
Accounting for inflation
To keep your purchasing power constant over the years, the simulated withdrawal grows each year with the inflation rate.
The time horizon matters
A longer retirement or a higher withdrawal both raise the risk of running out of capital early — try different values.
Worked example
How much the withdrawal rate really matters
Same starting capital, same return and inflation — only the withdrawal rate changes. Every value computed with the exact same formula as the calculator above.
Assumptions: €500,000.00 starting capital, 5% return p.a., 2% inflation p.a., 40-year horizon.
| Withdrawal rate | Monthly | Outcome after 40 years |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5% | €1,458.33 | lasts, €560,426.00 left |
| 4% | €1,666.67 | lasts, €137,630.00 left |
| 4.3% | €1,800.00 | depleted after 38 years |
| 6% | €2,500.00 | depleted after 23 years |
The best-known rule of thumb behind this is the 4% rule — more on that in the glossary. Withdrawal rate & the 4% rule in the glossary
Frequently asked
Questions about the withdrawal calculator
A withdrawal plan describes regularly taking money out of a capital pool while the rest stays invested and keeps earning returns.
To keep your purchasing power constant: €1,800 today is worth only about €1,200 in 20 years at 2% inflation. The calculator raises the withdrawal by the inflation rate each year, so you have the same real spending power every month.
There is no guaranteed-safe rate — only rules of thumb that rarely failed in historical simulations. The best known is the 4% rule; the glossary entry explains where it comes from and its limits.
Poor returns early in the withdrawal phase hurt more than later ones — this calculator uses a constant return, so it only captures this risk in a simplified way.
The calculator assumes constant return and inflation and doesn't account for taxes or market swings — it's a rough guide, not financial advice.
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