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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

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