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How long will $400,000 last in retirement?
The honest answer depends on one number: what you spend each month. Here is $400,000 across realistic spending levels, and the calculator to run your own return and inflation assumptions.
Short answer
With a 5% return and 2.5% inflation, $400,000 funds about 13 years at $3,000 a month and about 8 years at $5,000 a month. Social Security on top typically covers $1,500–$2,500 of monthly spending, which stretches every figure substantially. Set your own spending below to see your number.
Your savings would last about
10 years
Withdrawing $4,000 a month, rising 2.5% a year with inflation, while the rest grows at 5%. Social Security or a pension on top of savings stretches this substantially.
About the numbers
Two things the single number hides: sequence risk (a bad market early in retirement drains a portfolio faster than the average return suggests) and flexibility (retirees who can cut spending 10% in down years make the same money last dramatically longer). Treat the table as the planning baseline, not a guarantee.
How long $400,000 lasts by monthly spending
| Monthly spending | Years $400,000 lasts |
|---|---|
| $2,000/month | 21 |
| $2,500/month | 16 |
| $3,000/month | 13 |
| $4,000/month | 10 |
| $5,000/month | 8 |
| $6,000/month | 6 |
Assumes 5% return on the remaining balance and 2.5%/year inflation on spending. Social Security or a pension stretches every row.
How much to have saved by age (salary multiples)
| Age | Savings target | On a $75,000 salary |
|---|---|---|
| By 25 | 0.5× salary | $37,500 |
| By 30 | 1× salary | $75,000 |
| By 35 | 2× salary | $150,000 |
| By 40 | 3× salary | $225,000 |
| By 45 | 4× salary | $300,000 |
| By 50 | 6× salary | $450,000 |
| By 55 | 7× salary | $525,000 |
| By 60 | 8× salary | $600,000 |
Fidelity's published guideline (1× by 30 rising to 10× by 67); the age-25 row interpolates the same line. Targets assume retiring at 67 — retiring earlier needs more.
How long a nest egg lasts by monthly spending
| Nest egg | $2,000/mo | $3,000/mo | $4,000/mo | $6,000/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 12 yrs | 8 yrs | 6 yrs | 4 yrs |
| $300,000 | 15 yrs | 10 yrs | 7 yrs | 5 yrs |
| $400,000 | 21 yrs | 13 yrs | 10 yrs | 6 yrs |
| $500,000 | 29 yrs | 17 yrs | 12 yrs | 8 yrs |
| $750,000 | 57 yrs | 29 yrs | 20 yrs | 12 yrs |
| $1M | 100+ yrs | 45 yrs | 29 yrs | 17 yrs |
| $1.5M | 100+ yrs | 100+ yrs | 57 yrs | 29 yrs |
| $2M | 100+ yrs | 100+ yrs | 100+ yrs | 45 yrs |
Assumes 5% annual return on the remaining balance and spending that rises 2.5%/year with inflation. Market sequence risk can shorten real outcomes.
How we calculate this
Two simulations, both year by year with the working shown:
- Accumulation. each year the balance grows at your return, then the year's employee contribution (capped at the IRS deferral limit) and employer match (capped at the plan's match limit) are added; salary rises by your growth rate.
- Employer match. match = salary × min(your contribution %, match limit %) × match rate. Contribute below the limit and the forfeited match is shown by comparison.
- Drawdown. in retirement, each year's spending (rising with inflation) is withdrawn and the remainder keeps growing; the year the balance hits zero is how long the money lasts.
Assumptions
- Returns are a steady annual average — real markets vary year to year, and the order of good and bad years (sequence risk) changes drawdown outcomes.
- The IRS employee deferral limit is applied at its 2026 value; catch-up contributions (50+) are not modelled.
- Figures are pre-tax: traditional 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as income in retirement.
- Savings-by-age targets are Fidelity's salary-multiple guideline, not a rule — the right number depends on your retirement age and spending.
Sources
Last reviewed: July 22, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How is a 401(k) balance projected?+
Year by year: your balance grows at the annual return you assume, then that year's contributions land — your percentage of salary (capped at the IRS deferral limit) plus the employer match (capped at your plan's match limit) — and your salary rises by its growth rate for the next year. The power is compounding: money contributed in your 20s and 30s typically ends up mostly growth by retirement, which is why starting early beats contributing more later.
How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?+
The floor is whatever captures your full employer match — anything less forfeits free money with an instant 50–100% return. The widely used overall target is 15% of income toward retirement (your contributions plus the match). If 15% feels impossible, start at the match and raise your rate one percentage point per year — the projection shows how much even a single point changes the final balance.
How does a 401(k) employer match work?+
A formula like "50% of your contributions up to 6% of salary": if you contribute 6%, the employer adds 3% of your salary; contribute 4% and they add only 2%. On a $75,000 salary the difference between capturing a full 3% match and half of it is over $1,000 a year before growth. Watch vesting too — employer money may only fully belong to you after a few years of service.
What return should I assume for a 401(k)?+
Long-run US stock returns have averaged about 10% a year before inflation, but a diversified 401(k) with some bonds is more conservatively planned at 6–8%, and planning in inflation-adjusted terms (roughly 4–5% real) is more honest still. This calculator defaults to 7%; try 5% and 9% to see the range rather than trusting any single line.
How much money do I need to retire?+
Work from spending, not a magic number: the classic 4% rule says a nest egg lasts about 30 years if you withdraw 4% of it in year one and adjust for inflation — so $3,000 a month of portfolio spending needs roughly $900,000, before Social Security. The savings-by-age table gives the milestones along the way (1× salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50), and the drawdown mode tests any balance directly.
How long will $500,000 last in retirement?+
At $3,000 a month of spending, with a 5% return and 2.5% inflation, about 19 years; at $2,000 a month it stretches past 30. Social Security on top changes the picture substantially — if it covers $2,000 of a $4,000 monthly budget, your portfolio only funds the other half and lasts roughly twice as long. The per-balance pages on this site show the full spending table for common nest eggs.
Does this calculator see my real 401(k) account?+
No. Nothing connects to your plan and nothing you enter leaves your browser — no login, no account linking, no email. Enter your balance and plan details from your latest statement and the projection runs entirely on your device. It is a planning model, not financial advice; your plan's own projections and a fiduciary advisor can account for your full situation.
Also try the 401(k) Calculator.