What is a safe withdrawal rate for early retirement? If you retire in your mid-50s or early 60s, your portfolio may need to provide income for 35 to 40 years or longer.
For that reason, many financial planners may consider a starting withdrawal rate of approximately 3% to 3.5% instead of automatically using the traditional 4% rule. Morningstar’s latest research estimates a 3.3% starting withdrawal rate for a 40-year retirement under its base-case assumptions.
However, no withdrawal rate is completely safe or suitable for everyone. Your retirement timeline, investment allocation, inflation, taxes, healthcare costs, guaranteed income, and ability to adjust spending will all influence what your portfolio can support. Learn more from Morningstar’s current retirement-income research.
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