Canada How long will my savings last?
See how many years your savings will last in retirement — given your monthly withdrawals, expected return, and inflation — and the age your money would run out.
Your drawdown
Your withdrawal steps up each year by the inflation rate so your spending power stays constant. Returns are nominal here, so keep inflation separate. This is a fixed-return projection — real markets vary, and a run of poor early returns ("sequence risk") can shorten the timeline.
- Total withdrawn
- $784,732.47
- Money runs out at age
- 83
- First-year withdrawal
- $36,000.00
Want the money to last longer? Lower the withdrawal, retire later, or aim for a higher (riskier) return. A 4% starting withdrawal rate is the common rule of thumb for a 30-year horizon.
How long your money lasts
This calculator runs your retirement savings forward month by month: the balance earns a return, you take a withdrawal, and the withdrawal rises each year with inflation so your spending power holds steady. It counts the months until the balance hits zero — or, if growth outpaces your withdrawals, reports that the pot is never exhausted.
The key tension
Two forces pull against each other: investment growth adds to the balance, while inflation-adjusted withdrawals subtract from it. If your return comfortably exceeds your withdrawal rate, the balance can last indefinitely. If withdrawals outpace growth, the balance erodes — slowly at first, then faster as there's less capital left to earn returns.
Worked example
A $500,000 pot, withdrawing $3,000 a month, earning 5% a year with 2% inflation, lasts roughly 18 years. Drop the withdrawal to $1,500 a month and the maths flips — growth covers the spending for decades. Small changes to the withdrawal have an outsized effect on how long the money survives.
The 4% rule and its limits
The classic guideline is a 4% starting withdrawal rate (then adjusted for inflation), designed to last about 30 years. It's a useful anchor, but an average from historical data, not a guarantee. Two things a fixed-return projection can't capture:
- Sequence-of-returns risk. A crash in your first few retirement years does far more damage than the same crash later, because you're selling assets while they're down.
- Variable spending. Most people spend more early in retirement and less later; flexible spending makes savings last longer than a fixed withdrawal implies.
To find your target pot in the first place, use the retirement calculator or the FIRE calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
How long will my retirement savings last?
What is the 4% rule?
What is sequence-of-returns risk?
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