What is the 4 percent retirement rule?
Michael King
Updated on March 21, 2026
The 4% rule is a rule of thumb that suggests retirees can safely withdraw the amount equal to 4 percent of their savings during the year they retire and then adjust for inflation each subsequent year for 30 years. The 4% rule is a simple rule of thumb as opposed to a hard and fast rule for retirement income.
How long will my money last using the 4 rule?
The 4% rule is based on research by William Bengen, published in 1994, that found that if you invested at least 50% of your money in stocks and the rest in bonds, you'd have a strong likelihood of being able to withdraw an inflation-adjusted 4% of your nest egg every year for 30 years (and possibly longer, depending on ...Is the 4 percent rule outdated?
The 4 percent rule is outdated. It is now unwise to follow the 4 percent rule as a proper safe withdrawal rate in retirement, especially if you are part of the FIRE movement. Instead, I highly recommend lowering your safe withdrawal rate for the first year or two after you retire, especially if you retire early.How much do you need to retire 4%?
Retirement Rule of Thumb: 4% RuleOne easy-to-use formula is to divide your desired annual retirement income by 4%, which is known as the 4% rule. To generate the $80,000 cited above, for example, you would need a nest egg at retirement of about $2 million ($80,000 / 0.04).