1. Fixed real withdrawal strategy (the 4% rule) This classic approach involves withdrawing a fixed percentage of your portfolio annually, typically 4%, and adjusting it for inflation each year ...

Recent research supports moving away from rigid withdrawal rates. Morningstar’s December 2025 analysis recommends a 3.9% starting safe withdrawal rate for new retirees with a 30-year horizon—not 4%.

The 4% rule assumes a 30-year retirement horizon with a balanced stock-bond portfolio. Ramsey’s 8% rule requires a stock-heavy portfolio to generate sufficient returns. Both strategies demand ...

After decades of hard work, retirement should be a time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. But figuring out how to make your retirement funds last, especially in an uncertain or volatile economy, is ...

As a financial planner in the early 90s, William Bengen sought to identify a safe retirement withdrawal rate for his clients. The research he published created what is known today as the 4% withdrawal ...

After decades of squirreling away money for retirement, there comes a time when retirees must start withdrawing money from their accounts. Drawing down 401(k), IRA and other assets earmarked for ...

For decades, the 4% rule was considered a simple benchmark for retirement withdrawals. Developed in the 1990s by financial planner Bill Bengen, it suggested that "an annual withdrawal rate of 4% is ...