Withdrawal Sequencing | Life Calculators

Annual Spending Need ?How much you need to pull from accounts each year (after Social Security and pensions). This is the amount you actually need to spend, after tax.

Taxable Account ?Brokerage / savings — already taxed. Withdrawals trigger only capital gains on the gain portion. Modeled here as no extra tax for simplicity.

Tax-Deferred (IRA / 401k) ?Pre-tax retirement accounts. Every dollar withdrawn is taxed as ordinary income. RMDs force withdrawals starting at age 73.

Roth Account ?Roth IRA / Roth 401(k). Withdrawals are tax-free (after age 59½ and 5-year rule). No RMDs during your lifetime.

Marginal Tax Rate ?Your marginal federal+state tax rate during retirement withdrawals.

Annual Return ?Expected investment growth during retirement. Conservative portfolios return 4–6%.

Best Sequence

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Important notes about this calculator

Simplified 60-year simulation. Does NOT model: RMDs forcing tax-deferred withdrawals at age 73, capital-gains rates vs. ordinary rates on the taxable account, IRMAA tier crossings during big tax-deferred withdrawals, or year-by-year tax-bracket optimization. The default sequence is a useful starting rule; the optimal sequence is highly personal and often involves strategic Roth conversions in low-income years (early retirement before SS claiming).