Monthly withdrawals from a corpus: what is left, and how long the money lasts
Estimates only, not financial advice. What you type stays on your device. Updated on 24 Oct 2026.A systematic withdrawal plan takes a fixed sum out every month while the rest stays invested, so a corpus can grow and shrink at the same time. Withdrawing much beyond 1 per cent a month is where most plans stop lasting. Shows what remains, and for how long.
Set "Amount invested" with the slider, or tap one of the corpus chips.
Set the "Monthly withdrawal" and the "Expected return" you assume for the fund.
Set "Time period" in years, and "Raise the withdrawal every year by" if you want income that keeps up with inflation.
Read the balance left, "Total withdrawn" and "Money lasts", and open "Year by year" for each year.
Press "Share result" to copy a link with these inputs.
The SWP calculator shows what happens when you take a fixed amount out of an invested corpus every month. Enter the amount invested, the monthly withdrawal, the return you expect and the number of years. You get the total you withdraw, the balance left at the end, a month-by-month and year-by-year table, and, if the money runs out, the month it happens.
People use it to plan an income in retirement, or to pay school fees from a fund built for them. ₹50 lakh earning 8% a year makes about ₹33,333 a month, so withdrawing ₹30,000 a month leaves the corpus growing. Add a 5% yearly increase to keep up with prices and the same money runs out after about 19 years. The page also shows the most you could withdraw to last exactly your chosen period.
How it is worked out, in plain text, with i = expected yearly return ÷ 12: each month, growth = balance × i, then the withdrawal is taken at the end of the month, so balance = balance + growth − withdrawal. With a yearly increase g, the withdrawal in year y is W × (1 + g)^(y − 1). For a level withdrawal the balance after t months is C × (1 + i)^t − W × ((1 + i)^t − 1) ÷ i.
Real returns rise and fall, and a bad year early in the plan hurts more than the average suggests. Each withdrawal sells units, and the gain in them is taxed as capital gains; exit loads may apply. Confirm the current tax rules for your year. Estimates only, not financial advice.
Sources: SEBI and AMFI investor education material on systematic withdrawal plans; the scheme information documents of mutual funds for how withdrawals are processed; the Income Tax Department for capital gains on redemptions.
Longevity depends on how the withdrawal compares with what the corpus earns. While the monthly withdrawal stays below the corpus multiplied by the monthly return, the balance never falls at a steady return. Above that, the calculator names the month the balance reaches zero, looking up to 100 years ahead.
At 8% a year, ₹50 lakh earns about ₹33,333 a month, so withdrawals up to that amount leave the corpus intact at a steady return. To use up the money over exactly 20 years instead, you could withdraw about ₹41,800 a month. Returns vary, so leave a margin.
A SIP puts a fixed amount into a mutual fund every month to build a corpus. An SWP does the reverse: it takes a fixed amount out every month from a corpus you already have, while the rest stays invested and keeps earning.
Prices rise every year, so a fixed withdrawal buys less over time. An annual increase keeps your income steady in real terms, but it drains the corpus faster. Try an increase close to the inflation you expect and check that the money still lasts as long as you need.
Each withdrawal sells mutual fund units. Only the gain in the units sold is taxed, as short or long term capital gains depending on how long you held them, and exit loads may apply in the first year. The figures here are before tax. Confirm the current rules for your tax year.
Use a return you are comfortable relying on, not the best year of the fund. For a corpus that must last, many people use a lower figure than for building wealth. The calculator uses the yearly return divided by 12 each month, the same as the SIP calculator.
Formula only: no rates or limits are read from an official source.
Still stuck? Ask about SWP Calculator and anybody who knows can answer. No account needed.
Also works as: Systematic Withdrawal Plan Calculator.
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