RETIREMENT

Start with the math. Then test the whole plan.

See what different savings balances could provide and what retiring at 55 or 60 would require. Each guide explains the calculation and its limits.

Explore the guides
Portfolio questions3 balances$1 million, $2 million, and $3 million
Timing questions2 agesRetiring at 55 and retiring at 60
Planning approach1 methodClear math with stated assumptions

BY PORTFOLIO BALANCE

What could your savings support?

Compare the same 3%, 3.5%, and 4% starting-withdrawal illustrations across three balances. Each guide then adds income, spending, tax, and risk context. For a broader benchmark, see how much Americans have in savings by age.

$1M portfolio

Can I retire with $1 million?

Yes—$1 million can be enough to retire if your spending gap is modest and other income covers a meaningful share of your needs.

3%
$30K/yr
3.5%
$35K/yr
4%
$40K/yr
Read the full answer
$2M portfolio

Can I retire with $2 million?

Yes—for many households, $2 million can be enough to retire. But the balance alone cannot answer the question.

3%
$60K/yr
3.5%
$70K/yr
4%
$80K/yr
Read the full answer
$3M portfolio

Can I retire with $3 million?

Yes—for many households, $3 million can support a comfortable retirement. But a large balance is not the same thing as a complete retirement plan.

3%
$90K/yr
3.5%
$105K/yr
4%
$120K/yr
Read the full answer
First-year portfolio withdrawals at three illustrative starting rates
Starting portfolio3.0%3.5%4.0%
$1M portfolio$30K / year$35K / year$40K / year
$2M portfolio$60K / year$70K / year$80K / year
$3M portfolio$90K / year$105K / year$120K / year

These are gross, first-year portfolio withdrawals—not promised returns, guaranteed lifetime income, or a complete retirement plan.

BY RETIREMENT AGE

How will you cover the early years?

Retiring before Medicare or Social Security changes what your plan needs to cover first. Start with the benefits and tax milestones that arrive after work stops.

A longer bridge

Can I retire at 55?

You need to coordinate access to your savings, healthcare, taxes, and spending over many years. Start by sizing the income gap from age 55, then model when each account and benefit becomes available.

  • 55Retirement begins
  • 59½Account access
  • 62Social Security
  • 65Healthcare
See the age-by-age answer
Five years to Medicare

Can I retire at 60?

At 60, the general 59½ early-distribution threshold has passed, but Social Security cannot start until 62 and Medicare usually begins at 65. The useful question is how much your portfolio must provide before and after those milestones—not only whether you have reached a particular balance.

  • 60Retirement begins
  • 62Social Security
  • 65Healthcare
  • 67Social Security
See the age-by-age answer

SOURCES & METHODOLOGY

How these estimates work.

Every answer separates the math from the judgment calls. Withdrawal examples use simple starting-balance math. They do not predict returns or guarantee how long a portfolio will last.

  1. 01
    Show the calculation

    Rates, amounts, income gaps, and assumptions stay visible.

  2. 02
    Use primary sources

    Each guide links to relevant IRS, Social Security, Medicare, and federal data.

  3. 03
    Try it with your own numbers

    Use Ask Linc to replace the examples with your own finances, then change the date, spending, income, or assumptions.

Explore retirement planning Check retirement readiness Calculate your Coast FIRE number

BEFORE RETIREMENT

Retirement starts with the decisions before it.

Try Coast FIRE, a home, leave, or job change in the context of the same long-term plan.

01

Reaching Coast FIRE

Find your Coast FIRE number, then test what it could let you change about work and saving.

Explore the decision 02

Buying a home

Check the price and mortgage against the retirement date.

Explore the decision 03

Taking parental leave

See how time away changes cash flow and savings.

Explore the decision 04

Changing jobs

See whether your savings can cover an income gap before you move.

Explore the decision

START WITH THE DECISION

Replace the examples with your real numbers—and keep testing the plan.

Model my retirement decisions

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