Retirement Withdrawal Rate Calculator - Calculate withdrawal rate, needed portfolio size, income etc
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The calculator helps with four related questions:
• Surplus Calculator: "Given my situation, do I have extra money each year, or a shortfall?"
• Needed Withdrawal Rate: "What withdrawal rate would exactly fund my spending?"
• Needed Portfolio Size: "How much would I need to have invested to support this lifestyle?"
• Needed Earned Income: "If I'm still working, how much W-2 income do I need?"
All four calculators are on one tab so you can easily compare scenarios at a glance.
Replies
Most retirement calculators answer just one question: "how much can I withdraw?" This one is built around four related questions you might actually be asking:
• Surplus Calculator: "Given my situation, do I have extra money each year, or a shortfall?"
• Needed Withdrawal Rate: "What withdrawal rate would exactly fund my spending?"
• Needed Portfolio Size : "How much would I need to have invested to support this lifestyle?"
• Needed Earned Income: "If I'm still working, how much W-2 income do I need?"
All four calculators sit on one tab so you can compare scenarios at a glance.
Many online retirement calculators either ignore taxes entirely or use a flat tax rate. Both produce misleading numbers because real-world tax depends on the COMPOSITION of your income, not just the total. This calculator models that composition explicitly:
• Distinguishes ordinary income, qualified dividends, and long-term capital gains (LTCG) — each taxed differently at the federal level.
• Models progressive tax brackets (not flat rates) for both federal and state.
• Stacks LTCG on top of ordinary income to apply the correct 0%/15%/20% threshold.
• Computes payroll taxes (Social Security, Medicare, state SDI) on earned income.