on line calculators

[MEL]

Is anyone aware of financial calculators available on the web that would allow a self adjusting withdrawal program?
By this I mean taking a fixed percentage of the portfolio's balance each year.
By doing this the income will go up and down over time based on the porfolio's performance but over the long run, the income should grow quite nicely.
The best from the fund companies that I've seen is the literature for the ICA fund from America funds which shows an example of this concept.
I believe the w/d rate they used was 6% of the balance each year.
Over many years, and even decades, this approach will produce a tremendous growth in income, if using a stock fund.
There is no free lunch though, you have to put up with income fluctations.
This is the approach I'm using and I am confident that it will work over time.
I would like to be able to plug some numbers into a web based calculator that would show this concept.

 

[Zipper]

I've mentioned before that I use 5% of the portfolio balance each December 31.

You could run into trouble if you had a number of down years early on.

In that event you would have to adjust the rate and/or replenish the pile.

I wouldn't go over the 6% quoted above.

I'll be 62 this year. If I was 42, I would stick with the 4% forum consensus.

 

[charlie]

Mel, FIREcalc will do what you want by using 5% in the ER blank.

Cheers,

Charlie