# Will my 401(k) withdrawal plan last?

Plans yearly withdrawals from a 401(k) or IRA: how long the balance lasts at a steady return, with each year’s withdrawal raised to the required minimum distribution once RMDs start.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/401k-withdrawal-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/401k-withdrawal-calculator.json
- Version: abc2c0c30b9f

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (401(k) balance $500,000.00, Withdrawal a year $30,000.00, Raise the withdrawal each year by 2.5%, Yearly return 5%, Year of birth 1961, First withdrawal year 2026): Taking $30,000.00 a year from $500,000.00, the money lasts to age 85; total withdrawn $814,490.19.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| balance | 401(k) balance | The balance when withdrawals start. |
| withdrawal | Withdrawal a year | How much you plan to take out in the first year, before tax. |
| raise | Raise the withdrawal each year by | A yearly increase in the planned withdrawal, for example for inflation. |
| growth | Yearly return | The yearly return on the balance after fees. |
| born | Year of birth | Your year of birth, for your age each year and your RMD age (73 or 75). |
| start | First withdrawal year | The year of the first withdrawal. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| lasts | The money lasts | The age of the last withdrawal, or that money is left at 100. |
| totalWithdrawn | Total withdrawn | All withdrawals, before tax. |
| endBalance | Balance left | The balance after the last year shown (age 100 at most). |
| rmdYears | Years the RMD was more than the plan | Years in which the required minimum distribution raised the withdrawal. |
| firstRmdYear | First RMD year | The year you reach RMD age: 73 if born 1951 to 1959, 75 if born 1960 or later. |

## Method

Each year: withdrawal = larger of (first-year withdrawal × (1 + raise)^n) and the RMD (balance ÷ Table III factor from RMD age), at most the balance; balance = (balance − withdrawal) × (1 + return).

## Assumptions

- Withdrawals come out at the start of each year; the rest earns the same return every year. Real returns vary, and a bad early year matters more.
- RMDs start at 73 for people born 1951 to 1959 and 75 for 1960 or later, from the balance at the start of the year and the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (Pub 590-B Table III).
- Amounts are before income tax; use the 401(k) withdrawal tax calculator for the tax on a year’s withdrawal.
- The plan runs to age 100.

## Worked examples

1. balance = $100,000.00, withdrawal = $25,000.00, raise = 0%, growth = 0%, born = 1966, start = 2026 gives lasts = to age 63, totalWithdrawn = $100,000.00, endBalance = $0.00, rmdYears = 0, firstRmdYear = 2041.
2. balance = $1,000,000.00, withdrawal = $0.00, raise = 0%, growth = 0%, born = 1953, start = 2026 gives firstRmdYear = 2026, rmdYears = 28, lasts = past age 100, totalWithdrawn = $898,856.68, endBalance = $101,143.32. Source: IRS Pub 590-B Table III.
3. balance = $200,000.00, withdrawal = $10,000.00, raise = 0%, growth = 10%, born = 1966, start = 2026 gives lasts = past age 100, totalWithdrawn = $1,751,591.74, endBalance = $633,607.73.

## FAQ

### How long will my 401(k) last?

It depends on the withdrawal, how fast you raise it, and the return. With no return, $100,000 at $25,000 a year lasts four years. If the return on what is left beats the withdrawal each year, the balance never runs out. The table shows each year.

### What is a safe withdrawal rate from a 401(k)?

A common rule of thumb is to start near 4% of the balance and raise it with inflation, which lasted about 30 years in most past US markets. It is a guide, not a promise: returns, fees, taxes and how long you live all change the answer.

### When do required minimum distributions start?

At 73 if you were born from 1951 to 1959, and at 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. Each year’s RMD is the balance at the start of the year divided by the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table factor for your age. If your plan takes out less, this calculator raises that year’s withdrawal to the RMD.

### Are 401(k) withdrawals taxed?

Yes, pre-tax withdrawals are ordinary income, and before 59½ usually owe a 10% additional tax too. This plan is before tax; use the taxes on 401(k) withdrawal calculator for one year’s tax.

## Sources

- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-B (2025), Appendix B Table III (Uniform Lifetime): https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590b
- SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (Division T of Public Law 117-328), section 107 (RMD age 73 and 75): https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2617
- Internal Revenue Service, Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs: https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plan-and-ira-required-minimum-distributions-faqs