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Retirelens Calculator

How much retirement income could I have?

Estimate pretax cash flow by stacking portfolio withdrawals (with an inflation‑stepped rule), Social Security, pensions, and other income — then see how total income and portfolio balance might evolve over your planning horizon.

Year-one income

Estimated per month (pretax)

$8,500

About $102,000 per year in year one — $48,000 from the portfolio (4.0% of starting balance) plus $54,000 from Social Security, pension, and other sources.

From portfolio (Y1)

$48,000

Other streams (Y1)

$54,000

Your retirement income inputs

Portfolio withdrawals follow a Trinity-style rule: take a percentage of the starting balance in year one, then grow that dollar amount by your spending inflation rate. Returns apply annually after withdrawals — a simplified calendar-year model.

4.0% of starting balance

Year-one portfolio withdrawal = balance × this rate; later years step up in dollars with inflation below.

5.5%
2.5%

Also applied to “other income” in this model.

2.0%
0.0%
30 years

Total income vs. guaranteed streams

“SS + pension + other” is everything not funded from the portfolio in that year. Totals are pretax.

  • Portfolio
  • SS + pension + other
  • Total
12345678910111214161718202224262830Year of retirement$0$50K$100K$150K$200K

Year-one income mix

  • Other
  • Pension
  • Portfolio
  • Social Security
Year 1$0$30K$60K$90K$120K

Portfolio balance path

After each year’s withdrawal, the remainder compounds at your expected return.

1369121518222630$0$350K$700K$1.1M$1.4M

What this means

Under these assumptions, year-one income is about $102,000 ($8,500/month). By year 30, total cash flow is near $186,436 while the portfolio ends around $1,108,526.

Higher starting withdrawal rates or higher inflation steps pull more from the portfolio early, which can shorten sustainability if returns disappoint. More Social Security or pension income supports the same lifestyle with smaller portfolio draws.

Compare results with your actual asset location (taxable vs. tax-deferred vs. Roth), RMD rules, and cash buffers — none of which are fully modeled here.

Year-by-year detail

Pretax dollars; scroll inside the table.

YearPortfolioSSPensionOtherTotalEnd balance
1$48,000$36,000$12,000$6,000$102,000$1,215,360
2$49,200$36,720$12,000$6,150$104,070$1,230,299
3$50,430$37,454$12,000$6,304$106,188$1,244,762
4$51,691$38,203$12,000$6,461$108,356$1,258,690
5$52,983$38,968$12,000$6,623$110,573$1,272,021
6$54,308$39,747$12,000$6,788$112,843$1,284,687
7$55,665$40,542$12,000$6,958$115,165$1,296,618
8$57,057$41,353$12,000$7,132$117,542$1,307,737
9$58,483$42,180$12,000$7,310$119,973$1,317,963
10$59,945$43,023$12,000$7,493$122,462$1,327,208
11$61,444$43,884$12,000$7,681$125,008$1,335,381
12$62,980$44,761$12,000$7,873$127,614$1,342,383
13$64,555$45,657$12,000$8,069$130,281$1,348,109
14$66,169$46,570$12,000$8,271$133,009$1,352,447
15$67,823$47,501$12,000$8,478$135,802$1,355,279
16$69,518$48,451$12,000$8,690$138,659$1,356,477
17$71,256$49,420$12,000$8,907$141,584$1,355,908
18$73,038$50,409$12,000$9,130$144,576$1,353,428
19$74,864$51,417$12,000$9,358$147,638$1,348,886
20$76,735$52,445$12,000$9,592$150,772$1,342,119
21$78,654$53,494$12,000$9,832$153,979$1,332,956
22$80,620$54,564$12,000$10,077$157,261$1,321,214
23$82,635$55,655$12,000$10,329$160,620$1,306,701
24$84,701$56,768$12,000$10,588$164,057$1,289,210
25$86,819$57,904$12,000$10,852$167,575$1,268,522
26$88,989$59,062$12,000$11,124$171,175$1,244,407
27$91,214$60,243$12,000$11,402$174,859$1,216,619
28$93,494$61,448$12,000$11,687$178,629$1,184,896
29$95,832$62,677$12,000$11,979$182,488$1,148,963
30$98,228$63,930$12,000$12,278$186,436$1,108,526

Plan more than your portfolio

Your finances are one lens. A confident retirement also needs clarity on health, purpose, relationships, and legacy — the same pillars we use across Retirelens.

Financial Readiness

Know where you stand and what to do next with your money.

74% of planners reported satisfaction with retirement income vs. 43% of non-planners (Goldman Sachs)

Health & Wellness

Secure solid coverage, stay ahead with preventive care and healthy habits a staple.

68% of adults ages 50–64 said they were concerned that federal policy changes could affect their health insurance coverage. (University of Michigan)

Lifestyle & Purpose

Shape days you look forward to, with steps to get there.

Research shows that a stronger sense of purpose is associated with lower mortality risk among adults over age 50. (American Medical Association)

Social Connections

Strengthen relationships and build a support circle.

A longitudinal study of adults aged 65+ found that older adults with more diverse social networks had a lower risk of death and better cognitive and physical function than those with less diverse networks. (Chico Health Aging Project)

Legacy Planning

Organize your assets and document so your family isn't left guessing.

Without a proper estate plan, more than half of families experience disputes or have assets end up under court control. (LegalShield)

How this calculator works

Year-one portfolio withdrawal equals your starting balance multiplied by the initial withdrawal rate. Each later year, that withdrawal target grows by your spending inflation rate (a simplified “raise your withdrawal by inflation” rule). If the portfolio cannot fund the full target, the model withdraws only what remains before growth.

Social Security grows at the COLA you enter; pensions grow at their own rate; “other income” uses the same inflation series as portfolio withdrawals for simplicity. After net withdrawals, the remaining portfolio compounds once per year at your expected return — a coarse calendar-year approximation, not continuous monthly rebalancing.

Industry research on safe starting withdrawal rates changes with markets and assumptions; Morningstar and others publish updated ranges in the high 3% area for balanced portfolios in many recent studies. This tool does not pick a “safe” rate for you and is not investment, tax, or legal advice.

Help

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to common questions about this calculator.