Phased Retirement Income Bridge
Calculator
Results
- Ending balance
- $67,114.03
- Value of the bridge
- $67,114.03
- Total withdrawn
- $1,040,000.00
- Years funded
- 30 yr
Portfolio balance path
- Ending balance
- Cumulative withdrawn
Year-by-year portfolio projection
| 1 | 20,000.00 | 23,200.00 | 603,200.00 | 20,000.00 |
| 2 | 20,000.00 | 23,328.00 | 606,528.00 | 40,000.00 |
| 3 | 20,000.00 | 23,461.12 | 609,989.12 | 60,000.00 |
| 4 | 20,000.00 | 23,599.56 | 613,588.68 | 80,000.00 |
| 5 | 20,000.00 | 23,743.55 | 617,332.23 | 100,000.00 |
| 6 | 20,000.00 | 23,893.29 | 621,225.52 | 120,000.00 |
| 7 | 20,000.00 | 24,049.02 | 625,274.54 | 140,000.00 |
| 8 | 20,000.00 | 24,210.98 | 629,485.52 | 160,000.00 |
| 9 | 40,000.00 | 23,579.42 | 613,064.94 | 200,000.00 |
| 10 | 40,000.00 | 22,922.60 | 595,987.54 | 240,000.00 |
| 11 | 40,000.00 | 22,239.50 | 578,227.04 | 280,000.00 |
| 12 | 40,000.00 | 21,529.08 | 559,756.13 | 320,000.00 |
| 13 | 40,000.00 | 20,790.25 | 540,546.37 | 360,000.00 |
| 14 | 40,000.00 | 20,021.85 | 520,568.23 | 400,000.00 |
| 15 | 40,000.00 | 19,222.73 | 499,790.96 | 440,000.00 |
| 16 | 40,000.00 | 18,391.64 | 478,182.59 | 480,000.00 |
| 17 | 40,000.00 | 17,527.30 | 455,709.90 | 520,000.00 |
| 18 | 40,000.00 | 16,628.40 | 432,338.29 | 560,000.00 |
| 19 | 40,000.00 | 15,693.53 | 408,031.82 | 600,000.00 |
| 20 | 40,000.00 | 14,721.27 | 382,753.10 | 640,000.00 |
| 21 | 40,000.00 | 13,710.12 | 356,463.22 | 680,000.00 |
| 22 | 40,000.00 | 12,658.53 | 329,121.75 | 720,000.00 |
| 23 | 40,000.00 | 11,564.87 | 300,686.62 | 760,000.00 |
| 24 | 40,000.00 | 10,427.46 | 271,114.09 | 800,000.00 |
| 25 | 40,000.00 | 9,244.56 | 240,358.65 | 840,000.00 |
| 26 | 40,000.00 | 8,014.35 | 208,372.99 | 880,000.00 |
| 27 | 40,000.00 | 6,734.92 | 175,107.91 | 920,000.00 |
| 28 | 40,000.00 | 5,404.32 | 140,512.23 | 960,000.00 |
| 29 | 40,000.00 | 4,020.49 | 104,532.72 | 1,000,000.00 |
| 30 | 40,000.00 | 2,581.31 | 67,114.03 | 1,040,000.00 |
Comparison
| Scenario | Ending balance | Total withdrawn | Years funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline scenario | 0.00 | 877,342.05 | 22.00 |
| Selected scenario | 67,114.03 | 1,040,000.00 | 30.00 |
Formula
Wₜ = spending − wage while working, spending after= 67114.03
Note
This is not financial advice. It is a simplified model: it applies the displayed formula to the figures you entered, uses a single constant rate for every year unless you supplied more, and ignores taxes, fees, product charges and any country's specific pension, benefit or minimum-distribution rules. Sequence-of-returns risk and longevity risk are real: a run of poor early years can exhaust a portfolio that the average return alone calls safe, and living longer than projected is the risk this page cannot price. Real returns can be negative. Consult a licensed adviser before acting on any figure here.
More in Retirement drawdown
See all →Frequently asked questions
What is an income bridge in phased retirement?+
It's the money used to cover living expenses between when you stop full-time work and when a later, larger income source starts, such as delayed Social Security, a pension, or required minimum distributions. The calculator sizes how much you need to bridge that gap.
Why would I delay a income source instead of taking it right away?+
Sources like Social Security typically pay a higher monthly benefit the longer you delay claiming, up to a limit, so bridging with savings in the early years can raise your guaranteed income for the rest of your life. The trade-off is drawing down savings faster in the interim.
How is the bridge amount calculated?+
It's generally the gap between your expenses during the bridge period and any income already being received, multiplied by the number of years until the delayed income starts, then covered from savings. Inflation during the bridge period should be factored in for a realistic number.
What if I work part-time during the bridge period?+
Part-time income reduces the amount that needs to come from savings, which is exactly the point of a phased approach — it eases the drawdown pressure and can also reduce sequence-of-returns risk by not forcing withdrawals during a market downturn.
Does bridging always mean spending down my portfolio faster short-term?+
Yes, by definition your investment balance will decline faster during the bridge years than if you'd claimed benefits immediately. The projection is meant to show whether your savings can absorb that faster drawdown without jeopardizing the years after the bridge ends.