Equity Glide Path Retirement Calculator
This calculator helps you design and compare retirement investment glide paths — the planned shift in your portfolio’s stock and bond allocation over time. You can model rising, declining, or static equity strategies, set your withdrawal rate, and simulate how your portfolio might perform under different market conditions. By entering your age, retirement duration, portfolio value, and withdrawal strategy, the calculator projects how long your portfolio may last and compares results to traditional fixed withdrawal methods like the 3%, 4%, and 5% rules. Built on research from leading retirement experts like Pfau and Kitces, this tool allows you to visualize how adjusting your equity exposure throughout retirement can reduce sequence-of-returns risk, increase sustainability, and optimize long-term outcomes.
❓ FAQ Section
What is an equity glide path?
An equity glide path is a strategy that adjusts your stock and bond allocation over time. It can start conservative and rise later (rising glide path), start aggressive and reduce risk (declining glide path), or remain constant (static allocation).
What makes the rising equity glide path unique?
The rising equity glide path, popularized by researchers Pfau and Kitces, starts with a lower stock allocation at retirement and gradually increases equity exposure. This approach helps reduce the risk of early portfolio depletion during market downturns.
How does this calculator compare different strategies?
The calculator simulates portfolio performance for various glide path and withdrawal strategies under different market conditions (e.g., choppy, average, or smooth markets). Results include portfolio longevity, success probability, and final balance.
How can I use this tool to improve my retirement plan?
You can test how different equity allocations and withdrawal strategies perform over your expected retirement period. The results help identify sustainable strategies that balance growth potential with risk management.
What do “success probability” and “portfolio longevity” mean?
Success probability represents the percentage of scenarios where your portfolio lasts through your retirement years. Portfolio longevity shows how many years your funds are projected to last before depletion.
Disclaimer: For Educational Purposes Only
The information, tools, and calculators available on The Retirement Dilemma website are provided exclusively for educational and informational purposes. Their goal is to help you better understand how various retirement income strategies, such as withdrawal rates, investment allocations, and portfolio sustainability, may align with your long-term financial goals. This material should not be considered financial, legal, or tax advice.
All content is developed and reviewed by retirement planning professionals with decades of combined experience in wealth management, portfolio analysis, and retirement income design. However, every financial situation is unique. We strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified financial advisor, tax professional, or fiduciary planner before making any retirement-related decisions.
To ensure accuracy and reliability, our educational content references well-established, nationally recognized sources, including Morningstar, Fidelity, Vanguard, and other respected organizations specializing in retirement research.
Our mission is to provide unbiased, transparent, and practical education to empower you to make informed and confident decisions about your financial future.
