How this model works
Year 1 begins with your entered pot. Each year, multiply the opening pot by (1 + growth/100), round that balance to pennies, deduct the rounded fee on that balance, then pay the requested withdrawal or the available money, whichever is smaller. The closing balance becomes next year’s opening balance. Zero cannot regrow without new money; no additions are modelled.
Withdrawals happen at year end. Paying earlier or monthly would change the outcome. The same growth rate, fee and nominal withdrawal repeat every year. Negative growth reduces the pot; a fee is a percentage of the post-growth balance. No upfront lump sum is deducted automatically.
What an illustration cannot tell you
Actual investment returns fluctuate and the order of gains and losses matters when taking withdrawals. A constant-return line cannot describe that uncertainty or how long you will need income. No inflation, tax, benefits, eligibility, guarantees, tax-free cash, fixed charges, changing withdrawals or scheme rules are calculated.
State Pension, defined-benefit scheme income and annuities are separate types of income, not invested pot values to enter here. Money shown as paid is before tax, not take-home income. This tool does not assess what you can afford, establish a safe rate or recommend accessing, transferring or changing a pension.
Sources and model review
Context and model checked 2026-10-09. Next scheduled review: 2027-01-09. These sources explain drawdown and investment uncertainty; they do not validate your assumptions. General information, not financial advice. No independent professional review is claimed.