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Withdrawal Sequencing

Most calculators tell you how much you need. This one shows which account to drain first — and why the wrong order can cost you $2,624,393 over a 30-year retirement.

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No Data Selling

No Account Linking

Free Forever Tier

Your Profile

Filing Status

Current Age65 yrs

Retirement Age65 yrs

Life Expectancy92 yrs

Account Balances

Pre-Tax (401k / Trad IRA)

Roth IRA

Taxable Brokerage

HSA

Income & Spending

Annual Expenses

Social Security (monthly)

State Tax Rate5.0%

Expected Return6.0%

The Order Matters

Four mainstream strategies, same starting portfolio. The spread between best and worst is $2,624,393 in lifetime withdrawals.

4% Rule

Withdraw 4% initially, adjust for inflation. Classic conservative approach.

Year 1$80,000

Lifetime$3,256,771

Risk of ruin5.0%

Guardrails (Guyton-Klinger)

Worst

Adjust spending based on portfolio performance. Flexible and responsive.

Year 1$64,000

Lifetime$1,979,212

Risk of ruin14.1%

VPW (Variable Percentage Withdrawal)

Best

Withdrawal % increases with age. Higher spending in later years.

Year 1$70,000

Lifetime$4,603,606

Risk of ruin3.0%

CAPE-Adjusted

Adjust 4% rule based on Shiller CAPE ratio. Current CAPE 30 -> 3.50% WR

Year 1$70,000

Lifetime$2,849,674

Risk of ruin2.0%

Tax-Efficient Liquidation Order

Which account to drain first, ranked by tax impact. Most people get this exactly backwards.

Taxable Brokerage

Sell securities with unrealized losses to offset gains and reduce tax liability

Taxable Brokerage

Long-term gains taxed at preferential rates (0%, 15%, or 20%)

Tax impact: $31,500 per $10K withdrawn

Taxable Brokerage

Short-term gains taxed as ordinary income; defer if possible

Tax impact: $21,600 per $10K withdrawn

Pre-Tax (401k / Trad IRA)

All distributions taxed as ordinary income; manage RMDs and IRMAA thresholds

Tax impact: $216,000 per $10K withdrawn

Roth IRA

Tax-free growth and distributions; preserve for heirs or healthcare costs

HSA

Tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses; most tax-advantaged account

First 10 Years

Pro unlocks the full 27-year plan →

Age	Pre-Tax	Roth	Taxable	Tax	Net
65	$32,200	—	$52,800	$1,320	$98,680
66	$32,200	—	$55,800	$1,395	$101,605
67	$32,200	—	$28,890	$2,030	$74,060
68	$32,200	—	$32,073	$2,110	$77,163
69	$32,200	—	$35,351	$2,192	$80,359
70	$32,200	—	$38,727	$2,276	$83,651
71	$32,200	—	$42,205	$2,363	$87,042
72	$32,200	—	$45,787	$2,453	$90,535
73	$32,200	—	$62,462	$2,870	$93,807
74	$32,200	—	$68,277	$3,015	$97,462

Lifetime Tax Impact (Optimal Order)

Total Withdrawn

$3,320,963

Total Tax Paid

$369,001

Effective Tax Rate

11.1%

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Sagery provides educational estimates, not financial advice. All projections are based on the assumptions you provide — actual results will vary. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making financial decisions.

Sagery Pro unlocks

Your full withdrawal plan, year by year

• Full 25–35 year withdrawal schedule with annual tax projections
• Roth conversion ladder analysis (pre-RMD years are gold)
• IRMAA bracket avoidance + ACA subsidy preservation
• Sequence-of-returns risk modeled via Monte Carlo on your specific allocation
• Guardrails / VPW / floor-ceiling dynamic withdrawal modeling

Why the order matters more than people realize

Conventional advice says: drain taxable first, then pre-tax, then Roth last. That's the boilerplate every retirement book repeats. It's also often wrong — especially for retirees with meaningful pre-tax balances or who retire before Medicare/Social Security kick in.

The pre-RMD window (typically ages 60–73) is the most valuable tax planning real estate of your life. Income tends to be lower than during your working years, but RMDs haven't started forcing pre-tax distributions yet. Retirees who use this window for strategic Roth conversions and partial pre-tax withdrawals can save tens of thousands in lifetime tax. Retirees who follow the boilerplate often end up in higher brackets later when RMDs force their hand.

This calculator runs the four mainstream withdrawal strategies (4% rule, Guardrails, VPW, CAPE-adjusted) on your specific balances and shows the lifetime difference. It also surfaces an explicit liquidation order — which account to drain first and why. That's the part most calculators don't show because their parent companies are custodians who profit from the assets staying parked.

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See your full withdrawal plan in Sagery Pro →

Your withdrawal order is half of how to win retirement. The other half is your Freedom Number.

Free Tool · No Signup

Withdrawal Sequencing

Most calculators tell you how much you need. This one shows which account to drain first — and why the wrong order can cost you $2,624,393 over a 30-year retirement.

Secure & Encrypted

No Data Selling

No Account Linking

Free Forever Tier

Your Profile

Filing Status

Current Age65 yrs

Retirement Age65 yrs

Life Expectancy92 yrs

Account Balances

Pre-Tax (401k / Trad IRA)

Roth IRA

Taxable Brokerage

HSA

Income & Spending

Annual Expenses

Social Security (monthly)

State Tax Rate5.0%

Expected Return6.0%

The Order Matters

Four mainstream strategies, same starting portfolio. The spread between best and worst is $2,624,393 in lifetime withdrawals.

4% Rule

Withdraw 4% initially, adjust for inflation. Classic conservative approach.

Year 1$80,000

Lifetime$3,256,771

Risk of ruin5.0%

Guardrails (Guyton-Klinger)

Worst

Adjust spending based on portfolio performance. Flexible and responsive.

Year 1$64,000

Lifetime$1,979,212

Risk of ruin14.1%

VPW (Variable Percentage Withdrawal)

Best

Withdrawal % increases with age. Higher spending in later years.

Year 1$70,000

Lifetime$4,603,606

Risk of ruin3.0%

CAPE-Adjusted

Adjust 4% rule based on Shiller CAPE ratio. Current CAPE 30 -> 3.50% WR

Year 1$70,000

Lifetime$2,849,674

Risk of ruin2.0%

Tax-Efficient Liquidation Order

Which account to drain first, ranked by tax impact. Most people get this exactly backwards.

Taxable Brokerage

Sell securities with unrealized losses to offset gains and reduce tax liability

Taxable Brokerage

Long-term gains taxed at preferential rates (0%, 15%, or 20%)

Tax impact: $31,500 per $10K withdrawn

Taxable Brokerage

Short-term gains taxed as ordinary income; defer if possible

Tax impact: $21,600 per $10K withdrawn

Pre-Tax (401k / Trad IRA)

All distributions taxed as ordinary income; manage RMDs and IRMAA thresholds

Tax impact: $216,000 per $10K withdrawn

Roth IRA

Tax-free growth and distributions; preserve for heirs or healthcare costs

HSA

Tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses; most tax-advantaged account

First 10 Years

Pro unlocks the full 27-year plan →

Age	Pre-Tax	Roth	Taxable	Tax	Net
65	$32,200	—	$52,800	$1,320	$98,680
66	$32,200	—	$55,800	$1,395	$101,605
67	$32,200	—	$28,890	$2,030	$74,060
68	$32,200	—	$32,073	$2,110	$77,163
69	$32,200	—	$35,351	$2,192	$80,359
70	$32,200	—	$38,727	$2,276	$83,651
71	$32,200	—	$42,205	$2,363	$87,042
72	$32,200	—	$45,787	$2,453	$90,535
73	$32,200	—	$62,462	$2,870	$93,807
74	$32,200	—	$68,277	$3,015	$97,462

Lifetime Tax Impact (Optimal Order)

Total Withdrawn

$3,320,963

Total Tax Paid

$369,001

Effective Tax Rate

11.1%

Share your results

Share a link to these results. Others can instantly see your numbers and adjust their own inputs.

Sagery Pro unlocks

Your full withdrawal plan, year by year

• Full 25–35 year withdrawal schedule with annual tax projections
• Roth conversion ladder analysis (pre-RMD years are gold)
• IRMAA bracket avoidance + ACA subsidy preservation
• Sequence-of-returns risk modeled via Monte Carlo on your specific allocation
• Guardrails / VPW / floor-ceiling dynamic withdrawal modeling

Why the order matters more than people realize

Save Your Results

Get personalized tips to improve your numbers — delivered to your inbox.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We respect your privacy.

See your full withdrawal plan in Sagery Pro →

Your withdrawal order is half of how to win retirement. The other half is your Freedom Number.

Withdrawal Sequencing

Your Profile

Account Balances

Income & Spending

The Order Matters

Tax-Efficient Liquidation Order

First 10 Years

Lifetime Tax Impact (Optimal Order)

Your full withdrawal plan, year by year

Why the order matters more than people realize

Ask Sage

Save Your Results

Withdrawal Sequencing

Your Profile

Account Balances

Income & Spending

The Order Matters

Tax-Efficient Liquidation Order

First 10 Years

Lifetime Tax Impact (Optimal Order)

Your full withdrawal plan, year by year

Why the order matters more than people realize

Ask Sage

Save Your Results