Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator

This calculator helps determine the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) amount that you must withdraw from your tax-deferred retirement accounts when you reach a certain age, typically 72, 73, or 75, depending on your birth year.

Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator


Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator Instructions

What is a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)?

A Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is the minimum amount you must withdraw from your tax-deferred retirement accounts each year, starting at a certain age. The IRS requires you to take RMDs to ensure that you pay taxes on the money you’ve saved in these accounts, which have grown tax-free over the years.

How to Use:

  1. Enter the total balance of ALL your tax-deferred retirement accounts, including traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other employer-sponsored plans.
  2. Enter your age as of December 31st of the current year.
  3. Click the “Calculate RMD” button to determine your RMD amount, percentage, and distribution factor.

Important Notes:

  • The RMD is calculated based on the Uniform Lifetime Table provided by the IRS. See table below.
  • If you turned 72 after December 31, 2022, and before January 1, 2033, your RMD age is 73.
  • If you turned 74 after December 31, 2032, your RMD age is 75.
  • You must take your first RMD by April 1st of the year after you turn the applicable RMD age. For subsequent years, you must take your RMD by December 31st of each calendar year.
  • The distribution factor, also known as the life expectancy factor, is a number used to calculate your RMD. It is based on your age and represents the number of years the IRS expects you to live, according to actuarial tables. The distribution factor decreases as you get older, which means your RMD amount will increase over time.

Example: If you turn 72 in 2024, you must take your first RMD by April 1, 2025. You will then need to take subsequent RMDs by December 31st of each year, starting in 2025.

Note on Lifetime Distributions: While RMDs require you to withdraw a portion of your tax-deferred savings each year, you will never be required to completely withdraw your money. Even at the maximum age listed in the IRS tables, the distribution factor is 2.0, which means you will only need to withdraw 50% of the remaining value of your tax-deferred savings each year. This ensures that you will always have some remaining balance in your accounts, and you will not be forced to deplete your retirement savings entirely.

By using this calculator, you can estimate your RMD and plan for your retirement income accordingly. Consult with a financial advisor or tax professional to ensure you are meeting your RMD requirements, as individual circumstances may vary.

IRS Uniform Lifetime Table

AgeLife expectancy factor
7227.4
7326.5
7425.5
7524.6
7623.7
7722.9
7822.0
7921.1
8020.2
8119.4
8218.5
8317.7
8416.8
8516.0
8615.2
8714.4
8813.7
8912.9
9012.2
9111.5
9210.8
9310.1
949.5
958.9
968.4
977.8
987.3
996.8
1006.4
1016.0
1025.6
1035.2
1044.9
1054.6
1064.3
1074.1
1083.9
1093.7
1103.5
1113.4
1123.3
1133.1
1143.0
1152.9
1162.8
1172.7
1182.5
1192.3
120+2.0

The RMD amount is calculated by finding the Life Expectancy Factor for your age in the table above and dividing your account balance by this factor. Note that if you are over 120 years old, the factor is always 2, meaning the RMD will always be half of your account balance. This implies that if you withdraw only the RMD amount, your account balance will never be completely depleted.

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How to use the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator

The Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator is designed to help you pressure-test retirement income, withdrawal sustainability, inflation pressure, and how long your assets may last before you make a real-world change. Instead of relying on one rough estimate, run a few scenarios with conservative, base-case, and optimistic assumptions so you can see how sensitive the result is to returns, contribution levels, inflation, taxes, or timing.

A calculator result is most useful when you connect it to the account or plan decisions you actually control. After reviewing the output, compare it with your current savings rate, employer match rules, investment menu, expense levels, and withdrawal or rollover options. That is where MyPlanIQ’s plan pages and retirement research become useful companions to the raw number.

If the result looks weak, treat that as a planning signal rather than a dead end. Small changes such as contributing earlier in the year, capturing the full company match, lowering fees, adjusting withdrawal assumptions, or choosing a more suitable allocation can materially change long-term outcomes. Re-run the calculator after each change and use the related links below to keep moving from estimate to action.

Related resources

Calculator FAQs

How do you stress-test a retirement calculator?

Run the calculator with lower returns, higher inflation, and a longer lifespan than your base case. That shows how resilient your retirement plan may be if markets and spending do not go your way.

What retirement assumptions matter most?

Savings rate, retirement age, withdrawal level, expected investment return, inflation, and longevity usually have the biggest impact on retirement outcomes. Small changes in those assumptions can materially change the result.

Why compare retirement calculators instead of using only one?

Different calculators answer different planning questions. A Monte Carlo, withdrawal, spending, or Social Security tool can each highlight a different retirement risk, so using several together gives you a better decision picture.

How to use the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator

The Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Calculator is designed to help you pressure-test retirement income, withdrawal sustainability, inflation pressure, and how long your assets may last before you make a real-world change. Instead of relying on one rough estimate, run a few scenarios with conservative, base-case, and optimistic assumptions so you can see how sensitive the result is to returns, contribution levels, inflation, taxes, or timing.

A calculator result is most useful when you connect it to the account or plan decisions you actually control. After reviewing the output, compare it with your current savings rate, employer match rules, investment menu, expense levels, and withdrawal or rollover options. That is where MyPlanIQ's plan pages and retirement research become useful companions to the raw number.

If the result looks weak, treat that as a planning signal rather than a dead end. Small changes such as contributing earlier in the year, capturing the full company match, lowering fees, adjusting withdrawal assumptions, or choosing a more suitable allocation can materially change long-term outcomes. Re-run the calculator after each change and use the related links below to keep moving from estimate to action.

Related resources

Calculator FAQs

How do you stress-test a retirement calculator?

Run the calculator with lower returns, higher inflation, and a longer lifespan than your base case. That shows how resilient your retirement plan may be if markets and spending do not go your way.

What retirement assumptions matter most?

Savings rate, retirement age, withdrawal level, expected investment return, inflation, and longevity usually have the biggest impact on retirement outcomes. Small changes in those assumptions can materially change the result.

Why compare retirement calculators instead of using only one?

Different calculators answer different planning questions. A Monte Carlo, withdrawal, spending, or Social Security tool can each highlight a different retirement risk, so using several together gives you a better decision picture.