How Long Will My Retirement Corpus Last?

Retirement

Enter your retirement corpus and spending to see exactly how many years the money lasts once inflation keeps pushing your withdrawals higher every year.

Free · No sign-up · Private5 min readUpdated 27 July 2026

In short: This calculator shows how many years a retirement corpus lasts when you draw an inflation-indexed income from it: if your returns stay above the inflation-adjusted withdrawal rate, the corpus can last indefinitely; otherwise it depletes in a set number of years.

Your inputs

Results

Corpus lasts

years, then depletes

First-year withdrawal

₹9,60,000

4.8% of corpus

Total withdrawn

₹6,98,93,128

Over the whole horizon

Ending balance

₹0

Corpus exhausted

Corpus depletion curve

How your balance evolves as inflation-indexed withdrawals play out.

Year-wise drawdown

Year-wise drawdown
Year	Withdrawal	Growth	End balance
1	₹9,60,000	₹16,00,000	₹2,06,40,000
2	₹10,17,600	₹16,51,200	₹2,12,73,600
3	₹10,78,656	₹17,01,888	₹2,18,96,832
4	₹11,43,375	₹17,51,747	₹2,25,05,203
5	₹12,11,978	₹18,00,416	₹2,30,93,642
6	₹12,84,697	₹18,47,491	₹2,36,56,436
7	₹13,61,778	₹18,92,515	₹2,41,87,173
8	₹14,43,485	₹19,34,974	₹2,46,78,662
9	₹15,30,094	₹19,74,293	₹2,51,22,860
10	₹16,21,900	₹20,09,829	₹2,55,10,790

Corpus grows each year, then the inflation-adjusted withdrawal is taken out.

Formula

Balanceₜ = Balanceₜ₋₁ × (1 + r) − Wₜ; Wₜ = W₀ × (1 + i)ᵗ

r: Annual return on the corpus during retirement
W₀: First-year annual withdrawal (monthly expense × 12)
i: Inflation rate — grows the withdrawal each year
Balanceₜ: Corpus remaining at the end of year t

Step-by-step calculation

Worked with the default values.

1
First-year withdrawal
₹80,000 × 12
= ₹9,60,000
2
Each year
balance = (balance + growth) − withdrawal
= iterated for up to 60 years
3
Withdrawal grows with inflation
withdrawal × (1 + 6%) yearly
= spending keeps pace with prices
4
Corpus lasts
until balance hits zero
= 29 years

How it works

Each year the corpus first earns its return, then your annual withdrawal is deducted.
The withdrawal rises with inflation every year, so your spending keeps its purchasing power.
If returns outrun the growing withdrawals the corpus can last forever; if not, it steadily depletes and the calculator counts the years until it hits zero.

Examples

₹2 crore corpus, ₹80,000/month spending, 8% return, 6% inflation

The corpus lasts a few decades before depleting, as inflation slowly overtakes the returns.

₹5 crore corpus, ₹1 lakh/month spending, 9% return, 6% inflation

Withdrawals stay well below returns, so the balance keeps growing and effectively never runs out.

Understanding the How Long Will My Retirement Corpus Last?

Will your money outlast you?

The single biggest fear in retirement is running out of money. This calculator answers it directly: given your corpus, your first-year spending, an expected return and an inflation rate, it counts how many years the money lasts. Each year the balance earns its return, then your withdrawal is taken out — and crucially, that withdrawal rises with inflation so your lifestyle stays intact. The result is the classic depletion curve.

The one relationship that decides everything

Longevity comes down to the gap between your return and your inflation-adjusted withdrawal rate. If your corpus earns more than you draw after inflation, the balance grows faster than you spend it and can last indefinitely — the calculator shows this as 60+ years. If withdrawals outpace returns, the balance erodes, slowly at first and then alarmingly fast once compounding works in reverse.

This is why the real return (return minus inflation) matters far more than the headline number. An 8% return against 6% inflation leaves only a 2% real cushion, which a large, inflation-indexed withdrawal can easily overwhelm.

Sequence-of-returns risk and the 4% rule

Two dangers deserve special attention:

Sequence-of-returns risk: a market slump in your *early* retirement years, while you are also withdrawing, can permanently damage the corpus even if average returns later recover. The order of returns matters as much as the average.
The 4% rule: the famous guideline that a 4% first-year withdrawal, rising with inflation, tends to last 30 years. It is a helpful anchor, but India's higher inflation means a more cautious 3–3.5% is often wiser for long retirements.

Making your corpus last

The levers are simple, if not always easy. Withdraw less early on, keep some equity so growth outruns inflation, and hold 2–3 years of expenses in cash so a downturn never forces you to sell at the bottom. Above all, stay flexible: trimming spending in bad market years is the most powerful longevity booster of all. Re-run this calculator every year with your actual balance, and treat the years-lasted figure — which ignores taxes and shocks — as an optimistic estimate to build a margin of safety around.

Pros

Instantly reveals whether your corpus is large enough for the retirement you plan.
Models inflation properly, so the withdrawal grows realistically year after year.
The depletion curve makes sequence-of-returns risk and the return-vs-inflation gap tangible.
Helps you test trade-offs — spend less, earn more, or retire with a bigger corpus.

Cons

Assumes a constant return every year, whereas real markets are volatile and order matters.
Ignores taxes, healthcare shocks and one-off expenses that can shorten longevity.
A fixed inflation-indexed withdrawal is rigid; real retirees adjust spending in bad years.

Tips

1Keep your first-year withdrawal near 3–4% of the corpus for a long, inflation-heavy retirement.
2Hold 2–3 years of expenses in cash or liquid funds so you never sell equity in a crash.
3Keep a portion in equity — beating inflation over decades is what makes a corpus last.
4Re-run this calculator each year with your actual balance and adjust spending if needed.
5Stress-test with a lower return and higher inflation to see the worst-case longevity.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the How Long Will My Retirement Corpus Last?.

How long will my retirement corpus last?

It depends on the gap between your return and your inflation-adjusted withdrawal rate. If your corpus earns more than you draw (after inflation), it can last indefinitely; if you draw more, it depletes — this calculator counts the exact number of years.

What is a safe withdrawal rate?

A common global benchmark is the 4% rule — withdrawing about 4% of the corpus in the first year, then rising with inflation. In India, with higher inflation, many planners suggest a more conservative 3–3.5% first-year rate for a 30-plus-year retirement.

What is the 4% rule?

The 4% rule, from US research, says a retiree can withdraw 4% of their corpus in year one and adjust that rupee amount for inflation each year, with a high chance the money lasts 30 years. It is a useful starting point, not a guarantee, and Indian inflation warrants caution.

What is sequence-of-returns risk?

It is the danger that poor returns early in retirement — while you are also withdrawing — permanently shrink the corpus, even if average returns later recover. Two retirees with the same average return can have very different outcomes purely because of the order in which good and bad years arrive.

Can my corpus last forever?

Yes. If the return on your corpus consistently exceeds your inflation-adjusted withdrawal rate, the balance grows faster than you spend it, so it never runs out. The calculator labels this outcome as lasting 60+ years.

Why does inflation matter so much?

Inflation compounds against you: a ₹80,000 monthly spend becomes far larger in 20 years. Because your withdrawal rises every year, even a healthy corpus can deplete if returns barely beat inflation. This is why the real (inflation-adjusted) return is what truly matters.

What return should I assume in retirement?

Retirement portfolios usually turn conservative, mixing debt and some equity, so a real-world assumption of 7–9% is reasonable for India. Assuming an aggressive equity-only return in retirement is risky because a bad early sequence can be devastating.

How can I make my corpus last longer?

Lower your first-year withdrawal rate, keep a slice of the corpus in equity to beat inflation, hold 2–3 years of expenses in cash to avoid selling in downturns, and stay flexible — trimming spending in bad market years dramatically improves longevity.

Should I keep withdrawing a fixed amount or a fixed percentage?

A fixed inflation-indexed amount (what this calculator models) gives predictable income but risks depletion in bad markets. A fixed percentage of the current balance never fully runs out but makes your income fluctuate. Many retirees blend the two.

Does this calculator account for taxes?

No — it models pre-tax returns and withdrawals. Depending on where your corpus sits (equity funds, debt, FDs), taxes will reduce net returns, so treat the years-lasted figure as an optimistic upper bound and build in a margin of safety.

Methodology & sources

How the How Long Will My Retirement Corpus Last? is calculated, and where the underlying rules come from.

How we calculate it

Every result is produced by a single, shared and tested financial-formula library used across the whole site — so the maths is consistent from one calculator to the next. Figures are estimates based on the inputs you enter and standard assumptions (such as regular compounding and constant rates); real-world outcomes vary with taxes, fees and changing rates. All calculations run in your browser — nothing you type is stored or sent to a server.

Sources & references

Editorial policy & disclaimer. FinCalcHub provides free educational tools and estimates — not personalised financial, tax or investment advice. Verify important decisions with a qualified professional. Read our editorial approach, disclaimer and privacy policy.

Last reviewed for accuracy on 27 July 2026.

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How Long Will My Retirement Corpus Last?