Seeing $300,000 on a retirement account statement can feel reassuring, especially after decades of saving a little at a time. But a retirement balance and retirement income are two very different numbers, and converting one into the other can deliver a reality check. You generally can’t divide $300,000 by your remaining years and assume everything will work out because investment returns, inflation, taxes, market downturns, and longevity all affect how long the money lasts. Depending on the withdrawal strategy, $300,000 in retirement income could initially amount to roughly $750 to $1,250 per month before taxes. Here’s what those numbers actually look like and why the rest of your retirement income matters so much.
