How do I interpret my retirement success probability?
The retirement success probability is the result of running 1,000 simulations of your financial future across a wide range of market conditions. It represents the percentage of those simulations in which your portfolio fully funds your planned retirement spending without running out of money.
For example, a 90% probability means that in 900 out of 1,000 simulated market scenarios, your current plan is sufficient. A lower number suggests that under some market conditions, you may need to make adjustments.
What affects it:
- Your retirement age and expected lifespan
- Monthly spending target in retirement
- Social Security start age and benefit amount
- Your portfolio's expected returns and risk level (Portfolio Score)
- Tax strategy and withdrawal order
- Life events and other income sources (pensions, part-time work, etc.)
The left panel shows your Scenario settings. The bottom section has tabs to model Life events, Expenses & earnings, Assumptions, Spouse/partner, and Advanced settings - each of which can affect the probability.
For a full explanation of how the Retirement Planner works, see: Retirement Planning Tutorial