Retirement Health
How Long Will My Retirement Savings Last?
"Will my money last?" is the single most important question in retirement planning. A retirement health score answers it in one number: the age at which your portfolio is projected to run dry.
The quick math
Most formulas will tell you to take your current portfolio and divide by your annual spending in today's dollars. That gives you a rough "years of spending" number — but it ignores investment returns, inflation, taxes, and Social Security. A real projection accounts for all four.
Five things that change the answer
- Spending. The biggest lever. Cutting $500/month of spending can extend a portfolio by 5+ years.
- Investment mix. Ensure your investments are not earning less than average inflation and have the right mix of stock growth and risk.
- Inflation. Even 3% inflation doubles your spending over ~24 years. Most retirement spreadsheets understate it.
- Social Security claiming age. Claiming at 70 vs. 62 increases lifetime benefits by 50%+ for many retirees.
- Part-time income. Even modest work-optional income postpones portfolio withdrawals and dramatically improves your retirement health score.
See your retirement health score
Freedom Forecast projects your money year by year through age 95 and tells you whether your plan works.
Run your forecastRelated reading
- How to Create a Freedom Forecast
- Can I Retire at 55? Here's How to Calculate It
- Managing Life's Unexpected Ups and Downs
Educational content only — not financial, tax, or investment advice.