When and How Much Can You Withdraw from Your Investment Portfolio? - Sarwa (2024)

Here’s a question: When the stock market is up or down in a month as much as it could be in a year, who has the patience to think rationally about long-term retirement planning?

People get excited when they see positive interest earnings on their investments. There’s no doubt that it is tempting to withdraw the balance of your interest as soon as it is earned. But, there is an opportunity to make a lot more money by reinvesting those earnings instead of withdrawing them. It’s not about how much money you can take from your investment portfolio. It’s about focusing on what financial planning can do to increase your total wealth – and your quality of life.

Many new investors believe that they lose the opportunity to earn money if they do not move any short-term profits made on their investments into their bank account before an inevitable dip in the performance of their funds. This misconception causes investors to miss out in more ways than one!

Time and interest: The keys to long-term gains

Albert Einstein once said that “compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world” – or so the legend says. This is the concept of interest earning interest on itself. When put into practice, the benefits of an investment continuously reinvesting overtime allows investors to maximize their gains. The longer someone is able to stay in the market then the more compounding periods they’ll undertake and the interest accumulation accelerates. Graphically, the difference between reinvesting interest and not doing so is clear:

  • When and How Much Can You Withdraw from Your Investment Portfolio? - Sarwa (1)


Still not convinced? Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario and see if you’re still tempted to immediately withdraw or instead side with reinvestment. A savvy investor decided to invest a sum of $10,000 for 10 years. He is earning a net return of 7% (compounded annually). Here are the calculations:

  • When and How Much Can You Withdraw from Your Investment Portfolio? - Sarwa (2)

You’ll see that the investment grows from $10,000 to $21,049. That’s more than double your money for simply letting it sit quietly in a separate account! Alternatively, if our (not so) savvy investor had withdrawn the $700 interest each year, he would have pocketed $7,000 over the 10 year period. Combine this with his initial principal of $10,000, gives him a total sum of $17,000. This is $4,000 less than what was achieved by reinvesting all of the interest as it was earned. Oh yes. It’s time to get comfortable with staying invested!


Cost of living erodes your wealth

If you choose to take money out of your investment portfolio, you’ll likely be faced with two options.

  • Spend it or;
  • Keep it in a bank account, and overtime it will slowly be eroded by inflation

Inflation averages around 2-3% per year. This means that your $1,000 cash saving, in 10 years, will only be worth around $780! Earning interest on your money is the only way to combat inflation. If you withdraw interest every time it’s earned then it won’t compound to fight off the ongoing inflationary impacts. Being patient and leaving your money parked is wise and the most effective way to invest. AsWarren Buffetsays, “the stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.”


So, when can you withdraw from your portfolio?

Knowing when to sell out of your portfolio is key to financial success. However, whether you should sell or hold mostly depends on your AGE. If you’re closer to (or at) retirement age, then you’ve likely been investing for a while. So, you can start to sell your investments to live off of for your retirement. Although, if you’re younger there are only two good reasons to withdraw:

  1. You need money for an emergency
  2. You achieved a specific goal

For the readers that are already approaching retirement and thinking about an exit strategy, you want to figure three things out. How much money you’ll need, when you’re going to need it and how to make it last. Imagine if we all knew exactly when we’d ‘kick the bucket’. We could ensure that we spent our last dollar at the same time. Actually, maybe that’s a grave thought. However, thinking about this for a moment is considerably better than running out of money before you run out of time. So, how do we work out a safe withdrawal rate?


Bengen’s 4% rule

Retirement experts suggest William P. Bengen’s 4% rule to ensure you don’t run out of money. It’s a simple idea created in 1994. Using historical data on stock and bond returns over a 50-year period: A retiree can withdraw 4% from their investment portfolio each year and the amount adjusts annually for inflation. Let’s see this in action: Samer has $1,000,000 in retirement savings and plans to retire at age 65. Here’s how much he could look to withdraw each year:

  • When and How Much Can You Withdraw from Your Investment Portfolio? - Sarwa (3)

However, times have changed and retirement can last for more than 25 years. Your situation could also look different. For example, you may wish to travel in the early years of retirement and therefore require larger withdrawals than that of later years. [Rather than take this rule as the absolute truth, you should use it as a handy guideline for planning whilst taking other factors into account.] The 4% rule is a handy guideline but should be adjusted based on factors that impact your personal situation. There are factors that you can’t control – like how long you live, inflation, market returns. Other factors, you can control – such as your retirement age and investment risk-level.


What your retirement time horizon looks like

The good news is that retirees today are living more active lifestyles and living longer than ever before! Although, the longer you live, the more you risk outliving your savings. One of the biggest factors that affects how much you can withdraw from your investment portfolio is how many years of retirement you plan to fund from your savings.

As we’ve seen, historical research shows that if you plan a retirement of 25 years then a 4% withdrawal rate should ensure that you don’t run out of money. But if you work longer – maybe you expect to continue working until 70 and plan on a shorter retirement then you could afford to take a higher withdrawal rate of 5%. On the other hand, like most of us, if you want to retire earlier then you may need to plan for a 35 year retirement and therefore need to consider a 3% withdrawal rate.

Depending on how much you earn on your investments and how much you withdraw from these assets each year, you will either eventually spend all of your money or have remaining assets available for legacy potential. The takeaway here is that the longer your retirement lasts, the lower the safe withdrawal rate.

  • When and How Much Can You Withdraw from Your Investment Portfolio? - Sarwa (4)


Your risk tolerance

Most of us are familiar with the term “Low-risk, low-return versus high-risk, high-return.” When you start saving towards retirement in your younger years you may decide to look at higher risk investments, like equities. This type of investment can sometimes lose value, but when retirement is more than 30 years away, you have the time in the market to recover your losses.

However, the closer people get to retirement, typically their focus shifts towards capital preservation over potential returns. This means that by the time you’re in your mid-to-late fifties, you may want to consider looking at lower-risk options, like bonds. It’s important to keep your portfolio in line with your risk tolerance and time horizon as you want to avoid selling at a loss when you need a withdrawal. Dialing down your risk-level should provide you with the confidence for a more reliable safe withdrawal rate as your investments will not be exposed to the same price swings that come with a stock portfolio.

Important Disclosure:

The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only. It should not be considered as personalised investment advice. Each investor should do their due diligence before making any decision that may impact their financial situation and should have an investment strategy that reflects their risk profile and goals. The examples provided are for illustrative purposes. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Data shared from third parties is obtained from what are considered reliable sources; however, it cannot be guaranteed. Any articles, daily news, analysis, and/or other information contained in the blog should not be relied upon for investment purposes. The content provided is neither an offer to sell nor purchase any security. Opinions, news, research, analysis, prices, or other information contained on our Blog Services, or emailed to you, are provided as general market commentary. Sarwa does not warrant that the information is accurate, reliable or complete. Any third-party information provided does not reflect the views of Sarwa. Sarwa shall not be liable for any losses arising directly or indirectly from misuse of information. Each decision as to whether a self-directed investment is appropriate or proper is an independent decision by the reader. All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money invested.

When and How Much Can You Withdraw from Your Investment Portfolio? - Sarwa (2024)

FAQs

How much can I withdraw from my investment portfolio? ›

Bengen's 4% rule of thumb suggests that one can withdraw 4% from their investment portfolio annually (adjusted for inflation) and have enough money through retirement. Of course, newer research suggests that 4% should be slimmed down to 3% — ignoring any fees (like expense ratios) that come with investing.

When can I withdraw my investment? ›

Keep in mind that after you sell stocks, you must wait for the trade to settle before you can withdraw money from your brokerage account. This typically takes two business days. After your trade has settled, you can follow the withdrawal process above to get your cash.

How much should you withdraw from investments? ›

The 4% Rule suggests the total amount that a retiree should withdraw from retirement savings each year. The rule seeks to establish a steady and safe income stream that will meet a retiree's current and future financial needs. Life expectancy plays an important role in determining a sustainable rate.

Can I withdraw from investment fund? ›

You can withdraw part or all of the cash/funds in your portfolio at any time. If you are using a Managed Portfolio we will initiate the sell-down of the relevant portion of your holding and send the funds to your nominated bank account.

How much can you safely withdraw from your retirement portfolio? ›

Calculating the safe withdrawal rate can be as simple as using the 4 percent rule, a classic rule of thumb for financial planners. The 4 percent rule refers to withdrawing 4 percent of your portfolio's balance each year in retirement, using the portfolio's balance when you retire to calculate your withdrawals.

What is the safe withdrawal rate in 2023? ›

The 4% rule is a nice rule of thumb that clients should understand, but it shouldn't dictate a person's plan for retirement income, says Matt Sampson, a certified financial planner and senior investment advisor at Arnerich Massena in Portland, Ore.

Are you taxed when you withdraw an investments? ›

Recall that withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts are subject to ordinary income taxes, which can be taxed at federal rates of up to 37%. And if you tap these accounts prior to age 59½, the withdrawal may be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty (barring certain exceptions).

Do you pay taxes when you withdraw investments? ›

In many cases, you won't owe taxes on earnings until you take the money out of the account—or, depending on the type of account, ever. But for general investing accounts, taxes are due at the time you earn the money. The tax rate you pay on your investment income depends on how you earn the money.

What investment accounts can you withdraw from without penalty? ›

Taxable Accounts

Unlike an IRA or a 401(k), with a brokerage account, you can withdraw your money at any time, for any reason, with no tax or penalty.

How much money is too much to withdraw? ›

That said, cash withdrawals are subject to the same reporting limits as all transactions. If you withdraw $10,000 or more, federal law requires the bank to report it to the IRS in an effort to prevent money laundering and tax evasion. Few, if any, banks set withdrawal limits on a savings account.

How much cash is too much to withdraw? ›

Thanks to the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions are required to report withdrawals of $10,000 or more to the federal government. Banks are also trained to look for customers who may be trying to skirt the $10,000 threshold.

What happens when you withdraw money from an investment account? ›

There are no tax "penalties" for withdrawing money from an investment account. This is because investment accounts do not receive the same tax-sheltered treatment as retirement accounts like an IRA or a 403(b). There are also no age restrictions on when you can withdraw from your investment account.

How do I withdraw money from my portfolio account? ›

Directly Using Your Trading & DEMAT Accounts

First, enter your account, choose the amount you want to withdraw, and submit your request to verify your Mutual Fund investment. Once the bid has been verified, the redemption will be performed, and the money will be paid to your connected bank account.

Does taking money out of investments count as income? ›

Often, investment income includes interest and dividends. The income you receive from interest and unqualified dividends are generally taxed at your ordinary income tax rate.

How much cash is too much in a portfolio? ›

A common-sense strategy may be to allocate no less than 5% of your portfolio to cash, and many prudent professionals may prefer to keep between 10% and 20% on hand. Evidence indicates that the maximum risk/return trade-off occurs somewhere around this level of cash allocation.

What is the best portfolio balance for retirement? ›

Some financial advisors recommend a mix of 60% stocks, 35% fixed income, and 5% cash when an investor is in their 60s. So, at age 55, and if you're still working and investing, you might consider that allocation or something with even more growth potential.

Which is the biggest expense for most retirees? ›

Housing. Housing expenses—which include mortgage, rent, property tax, insurance, maintenance and repair costs—remained the largest expense for retirees.

What is the 7% withdrawal rule? ›

What is the 7 percent rule? The 7 percent rule is a retirement planning guideline that suggests you can comfortably withdraw 7 percent of your retirement savings annually without running out of money.

What is the 4 percent rule for withdrawal? ›

The 4% rule is a popular retirement withdrawal strategy that suggests retirees can safely withdraw the amount equal to 4 percent of their savings during the year they retire and then adjust for inflation each subsequent year for 30 years.

What is the 4 withdrawal rule? ›

The “4% rule” is a common approach to resolving that. The rule works just like it sounds: Limit annual withdrawals from your retirement accounts to 4% of the total balance in any given year. This means that if you retire with $1 million saved, you'd take out $40,000 the first year.

How do I avoid paying taxes on my investment account? ›

9 Ways to Avoid Capital Gains Taxes on Stocks
  1. Invest for the Long Term. ...
  2. Contribute to Your Retirement Accounts. ...
  3. Pick Your Cost Basis. ...
  4. Lower Your Tax Bracket. ...
  5. Harvest Losses to Offset Gains. ...
  6. Move to a Tax-Friendly State. ...
  7. Donate Stock to Charity. ...
  8. Invest in an Opportunity Zone.
Apr 20, 2023

Do seniors pay taxes on IRA withdrawals? ›

Regardless of your age, you will need to file a Form 1040 and show the amount of the IRA withdrawal. Since you took the withdrawal before you reached age 59 1/2, unless you met one of the exceptions, you will need to pay an additional 10% tax on early distributions on your Form 1040.

How much investment income is tax free? ›

The statutory threshold amounts are: Married filing jointly — $250,000, Married filing separately — $125,000, Single or head of household — $200,000, or.

Does the IRS know your investments? ›

If you have investment accounts, the IRS can see them in dividend and stock sales reportings through Forms 1099-DIV and 1099-B. If you have an IRA, the IRS will know about it through Form 5498.

How much tax do you pay on investment income? ›

Capital gains taxes are progressive, similar to income taxes. Short-term capital gains are taxed according to the relevant federal tax rate. Long-term capital gains are subject to 0%, 15% or 20%, depending on your taxable income. According to the IRS, most people pay no more than 15% on their long-term capital gains.

How do I avoid taxes on a large sum of money? ›

Strategies to Minimize Taxes on a Lump-Sum Payment
  1. Tax-Loss Harvesting. Tax-loss harvesting allows you to lock in investment losses for the express purpose of lowering your taxable income. ...
  2. Deductions and Credits. ...
  3. Donate To Charity. ...
  4. Open a Charitable Lead Annuity Trust. ...
  5. Use a Separately Managed Account.
Mar 23, 2023

What account can you not withdraw money from? ›

Individual retirement accounts

Any money you put into a traditional IRA account typically cannot be withdrawn without a penalty until you reach retirement age, and contributions are tax-deductible at both the federal and state level.

Is it bad to withdraw more than 10000 from bank? ›

Legal and Savings Withdrawal Limits

That said, cash withdrawals are subject to the same reporting limits as all transactions. If you withdraw $10,000 or more, federal law requires the bank to report it to the IRS in an effort to prevent money laundering and tax evasion.

Can banks ask why you are withdrawing money? ›

Banks will ask you why you're withdrawing money if they get a hint of anything suspicious. This usually means unusually large withdrawals, unusually frequent withdrawals, or withdrawals that appear to be under duress. At the end of the day, your bank is just trying to keep your assets safe.

How much money can you withdraw without government knowing? ›

Federal law requires a person to report cash transactions of more than $10,000 by filing IRS Form 8300PDF, Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business.

What is the $3000 rule? ›

Rule. The requirement that financial institutions verify and record the identity of each cash purchaser of money orders and bank, cashier's, and traveler's checks in excess of $3,000.

Can you withdraw $1 million in cash? ›

A $1 million withdrawal may be a bigger sum than your bank branch has on site. So, you may be required to wait for a week or two before retrieving your newly liquid currency. The money needs to be literally shipped in for special withdrawals, and your bank may require you to provide a few days' notice.

What is the maximum amount of money you can have in a bank account? ›

Generally, there's no checking account maximum amount you can have. There is, however, a limit on how much of your checking account balance is covered by the FDIC (typically $250,000 per depositor, per account ownership type, per financial institution), though some banks have programs with higher limits.

How much cash can I withdraw from Investors bank? ›

Limitations on dollar amount of transfers. In addition to those limitations on transfers elsewhere described, the following limitations apply: • You may withdraw up to $810.00 from our ATM terminals each day with your Visa Debit Card.

Should I take my money out of the bank 2023? ›

Do no withdraw cash. Despite the recent uncertainty, experts don't recommend withdrawing cash from your account. Keeping your money in financial institutions rather than in your home is safer, especially when the amount is insured. "It's not a time to pull your money out of the bank," Silver said.

What are 3 ways to withdraw money? ›

  • How to Withdraw Money from Your Bank Account. Have you finally made the upgrade from a piggy bank and moved your stash of cash into a bank account? ...
  • Use an ATM. ...
  • Write a Check for Cash. ...
  • Fill Out a Withdrawal Slip. ...
  • Link Your Account to a Peer-to-Peer Payment Service.

Should I move my portfolio to cash? ›

While holding or moving to cash might feel good mentally and help avoid short-term stock market volatility, it is unlikely to be wise over the long term. Once you cash out a stock that's dropped in price, you move from a paper loss to an actual loss.

What does it mean to have cash in your portfolio? ›

Having some percentage of your portfolio in cash can allow you to take advantage of investment opportunities as they arise. A cash allocation may come in handy if you wish to overweight or underweight certain asset classes in your portfolio based on your outlook for the markets.

How do I live off my investment portfolio? ›

How to get started with living off interest
  1. Start with a solid financial plan: Before investing, you must have a solid financial plan. ...
  2. Consider your risk tolerance: Different investments come with different levels of risk. ...
  3. Diversify your investments: Diversification is critical to reducing risk and maximizing returns.

What is the 4% portfolio withdrawal rule? ›

The 4% rule is a popular retirement withdrawal strategy that suggests retirees can safely withdraw the amount equal to 4 percent of their savings during the year they retire and then adjust for inflation each subsequent year for 30 years.

How much cash is too much cash for your portfolio? ›

Cash and cash equivalents can provide liquidity, portfolio stability and emergency funds. Cash equivalent vehicles include savings, checking and money market accounts, and short-term investments. A general rule of thumb is that cash and cash equivalents should comprise between 2% and 10% of your portfolio.

What to do when your portfolio reaches 500k? ›

The Best Ways To Invest $500K Right Now
  1. Stocks & ETFs. One of the most common ways to start investing is to build a portfolio of various stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ...
  2. Work With a Financial Advisor. ...
  3. Real Estate. ...
  4. Mutual Funds. ...
  5. Use a Robo-Advisor. ...
  6. Invest in a Business. ...
  7. Alternative Investments. ...
  8. Fixed-Income Investments.
Apr 6, 2023

What can new retirees withdraw from a portfolio? ›

In the first year of retirement, you can withdraw up to 4% of your portfolio's value. If you have $1 million saved for retirement, for example, you could spend $40,000 in the first year of retirement following the 4% rule. Beginning in year two of retirement, you adjust this amount by the rate of inflation.

What is the 5% withdrawal rule? ›

If your intention is to preserve your assets to pass them down to your children or other beneficiaries in the future, withdrawing 5% each year will ensure a secure retirement so long as your nest egg is large enough to allow it.

How much cash should a 60 year old have in their portfolio? ›

Emergency Funds for Retirees

Despite the ability to access retirement accounts, many experts recommend that retirees keep enough cash on hand to cover between six and twelve months of daily living expenses. Some even suggest keeping up to three years' worth of living expenses in cash.

What is the downside of holding too much cash? ›

Excess cash has three negative impacts: It lowers your return on assets. It increases your cost of capital. It increases business risk and destroys value while making the management overconfident.

What is the average 401k balance for a 65 year old? ›

Average and median 401(k) balance by age
AgeAverage Account BalanceMedian Account Balance
35-44$97,020$36,117
45-54$179,200$61,530
55-64$256,244$89,716
65+$279,997$87,725
2 more rows
Jan 20, 2023

What percentage of retirees have a million dollars? ›

In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings. The majority of retirees, however, have far less saved. If you're looking to be in the minority but aren't sure how to get started on that savings goal, consider working with a financial advisor .

Can I retire at 60 with $1 million? ›

So, can you retire at 60 with $1 million, and what would that look like? It's certainly possible to retire comfortably in this scenario. But it's wise to review your spending needs, taxes, health care, and other factors as you prepare for your retirement years.

What is a good portfolio amount? ›

While there is no "perfect" portfolio size, the generally agreed upon number is 20 to 30 stocks. A diversification strategy ensures that your money stays safe if one or a few assets dip.

How much cash should you always have on you? ›

“We would recommend between $100 to $300 of cash in your wallet, but also having a reserve of $1,000 or so in a safe at home,” Anderson says. Depending on your spending habits, a couple hundred dollars may be more than enough for your daily expenses or not enough.

How much cash should I have in a balanced portfolio? ›

Financial advisers often recommend having the equivalent of at least six months' income in cash to cover any unexpected expenses. This will typically be held in easy access cash savings accounts, so it's easy to get your hands on quickly but the amount needed will differ depending on your individual circ*mstances.

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