Retirement Withdrawal Calculator
Will I outlive my savings? Use this calculator to stress-test your retirement corpus against inflation and monthly expenses.
This withdrawal calculator assumes you already have a retirement corpus. If you are still building your retirement savings, first use our Retirement Planning Calculator India.
Retirement Withdrawal Calculator (Inflation Adjusted)
Retirement Scenario
Sustainability Check
Yearly Depletion Schedule
| Year | Opening Balance | Yearly Withdrawal (Inflated) | Interest Earned | Closing Balance |
|---|
Understanding Retirement Corpus Depletion
Retirement planning isn’t just about accumulating a large sum; it’s about ensuring that sum lasts as long as you do. The biggest threat to a comfortable retirement is Inflation. Most basic calculators assume your monthly expenses remain fixed (e.g., ₹50,000/month) for 30 years. In reality, due to 6% inflation, that ₹50,000 requirement will double to ₹1 Lakh in just 12 years.
The 4% Rule vs. The Indian Context
In global finance, the “4% Rule” suggests that if you withdraw 4% of your retirement portfolio in the first year and adjust that amount for inflation annually, you will likely never run out of money over a 30-year retirement. The 4% rule is based on US inflation. In India, 6–7% inflation makes it risky for long retirements. Read detailed India-specific analysis .
Does the 4% Rule work in India?
India is a high-inflation, high-growth economy. While US inflation hovers around 2-3%, India averages 6-7% according to the World Bank Data. However, Indian interest rates are also higher. Financial experts in India often suggest a Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR) of 5% to 6% provided your corpus is invested in a mix of Equity and Debt.
- Conservative SWR: 4% (Corpus lasts 35+ years even in bad markets)
- Moderate SWR: 5-6% (Standard for 20-25 year retirement)
- Aggressive SWR: >7% (High risk of depleting corpus in <15 years)
The Bucket Strategy for Withdrawals
To make your money last longer, don’t keep everything in a Savings Account (low return) or everything in Stocks (high risk). Use the Bucket Strategy:
- Bucket 1 (Immediate – Years 1-3): Keep 3 years of expenses in Liquid Funds or FDs. This protects your expenses from market crashes.
- Bucket 2 (Medium Term – Years 4-10): Invest in Hybrid or Debt Funds. These offer stability with better returns than FDs.
- Bucket 3 (Long Term – Years 11+): Invest in Equity Mutual Funds. This bucket grows untouched for a decade, beating inflation significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- FD/SCSS Interest: Fully taxable at your slab rate.
- Debt Mutual Funds: Taxed at slab rate (if bought after Apr 1, 2023).
- Equity SWP: Only gains > ₹1.25 Lakh/year are taxed at 12.5%.
If you plan to withdraw regular monthly income from mutual funds in a tax-efficient manner, you can use our SWP Calculator to understand fixed withdrawals and potential capital erosion before optimizing for taxes.