Retirement income calculator (portfolio + Social Security)

Estimate retirement income from withdrawals, Social Security, pension, and other sources. See yearly cash flow and balances over time (planning tool).

Your inputs

About this calculator

Enter what you expect at retirement. We combine savings withdrawals with Social Security, pension, and other steady income. Amounts are before tax.

Your information

Enter your best estimates below.

Investments you plan to use for retirement spending (not your home).
Percent of starting savings you take in year one — often around 4%.
4.0% of starting balance

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

Total yearly Social Security for your household (add both spouses if married).
Pension, annuity, rent, or part-time work — anything steady besides savings and Social Security.

Include pension, annuity, rental income, or part-time work — anything besides portfolio withdrawals and Social Security.

How we run the estimate

Change return, inflation, and COLA below. Savings, withdrawal rate, and income sources stay in the panel above.

Expected average growth on what’s left in the portfolio each year.
5.5%
How much your spending from savings rises each year.
2.5%
2.0%
Social Security raises
2% per year after benefits start
Pension income
Held flat each year (no automatic cost-of-living raise)
Years shown
25 years of retirement
Spending from savings
Year one uses your withdrawal rate on starting savings; that dollar amount rises with your spending inflation rate each year
Order each year
Money leaves savings first, then what remains grows for the year
Taxes
All amounts are before tax

Your results

Year-one income

Estimated per month (before taxes)

$8,000

About $96,000 per year in year one — $48,000 from the portfolio (4.0% of starting balance) plus $48,000 from Social Security, pension, and other sources.

From portfolio (Y1)

$48,000

Other streams (Y1)

$48,000

Total income vs. guaranteed streams

The green line is Social Security, pension, and other income — not money taken from your portfolio. Amounts are before taxes.

  • From savings
  • Social Security, pension & other
  • Total income
1234567891113151719212325Year of retirement$0$40K$80K$120K$160K

Year-one income mix

  • From savings
  • Other
  • Pension
  • Social Security
Year 1$0$25K$50K$75K$100K

Portfolio balance path

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

1234567891113151719212325$0$350K$700K$1.1M$1.4M

Year-by-year detail

Before-tax dollars; scroll inside the table.

YearPortfolioSocial SecurityPensionOtherTotalEnd balance
1$48,000$36,000$12,000$0$96,000$1,215,360
2$49,200$36,720$12,000$0$97,920$1,230,299
3$50,430$37,454$12,000$0$99,884$1,244,762
4$51,691$38,203$12,000$0$101,894$1,258,690
5$52,983$38,968$12,000$0$103,951$1,272,021
6$54,308$39,747$12,000$0$106,055$1,284,687
7$55,665$40,542$12,000$0$108,207$1,296,618
8$57,057$41,353$12,000$0$110,410$1,307,737
9$58,483$42,180$12,000$0$112,663$1,317,963
10$59,945$43,023$12,000$0$114,969$1,327,208
11$61,444$43,884$12,000$0$117,328$1,335,381
12$62,980$44,761$12,000$0$119,742$1,342,383
13$64,555$45,657$12,000$0$122,211$1,348,109
14$66,169$46,570$12,000$0$124,738$1,352,447
15$67,823$47,501$12,000$0$127,324$1,355,279
16$69,518$48,451$12,000$0$129,970$1,356,477
17$71,256$49,420$12,000$0$132,677$1,355,908
18$73,038$50,409$12,000$0$135,446$1,353,428
19$74,864$51,417$12,000$0$138,280$1,348,886
20$76,735$52,445$12,000$0$141,180$1,342,119
21$78,654$53,494$12,000$0$144,148$1,332,956
22$80,620$54,564$12,000$0$147,184$1,321,214
23$82,635$55,655$12,000$0$150,291$1,306,701
24$84,701$56,768$12,000$0$153,470$1,289,210
25$86,819$57,904$12,000$0$156,723$1,268,522

Beyond this calculator

Estimated income is not the same as spendable cash

This calculator estimates income from the sources you entered—not full retirement preparedness on its own. To determine whether you are truly ready, also account for:

  • Taxes by account type and year
  • Withdrawal order and required distributions from tax-deferred accounts
  • Healthcare premiums and out-of-pocket medical costs
  • Years when returns or inflation diverge from the average path

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Interpretation

What this means

Planning context for the estimates above. Not tax, legal, or investment advice.

Under these assumptions, year-one income is about $96,000 ($8,000/month). By year 25, total cash flow is near $156,723 while the portfolio ends around $1,268,522.

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), required withdrawal rules, and cash buffers — none of which are fully modeled here.

Methodology

How this calculator works

The rules and math behind this estimate.

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 default 2% annual rate; pensions grow at 0%. After net withdrawals, the remaining portfolio compounds once per year at your expected return.

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.

How much income could I have in retirement?

Add money from savings, Social Security, pensions, rentals, or work. This tool stacks those sources year by year. It is a planning sketch, not a promise.

What is a safe withdrawal rate?

Many planners start around 3–4% of savings in year one, then raise that dollar amount with inflation. The right rate depends on your age, investments, and other income.

How does Social Security fit in?

Social Security and pensions are steady income that can reduce how much you need from savings each year.

Are these numbers after tax?

No — entries are before tax unless you adjust them. Withdrawals from traditional accounts are usually taxable. Roth withdrawals may be tax-free. Social Security can be partly taxable.

Your full retirement picture

Retirement is more than money

Free to startNo credit card required

A good retirement plan covers money, health, how you spend your time, people you care about, and what you pass on. That is how Retirelens looks at the full picture.

Finance

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

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)

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)

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

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)