Will My Retirement Savings Run Out? - Salt Lake Financial Planning

Introduction: The Real Human Problem

Model calculations are helpful, but the stock market doesn’t grow in a straight line. If you experience a market downturn in the first few years of your retirement while making withdrawals, your portfolio’s longevity can be severely impacted—a concept known as ‘sequence of returns risk.’ A retirement savings sustainability calculator helps you assess the viability of your plan under different economic scenarios.

Planning for your future in the Wasatch Front requires a strategy that accounts for local cost of living and specific lifestyle desires. Whether you enjoy skiing at Alta, hiking in the Cottonwood canyons, or raising a family in South Jordan, your financial roadmap should be built around your life—not just a generic set of numbers.

Open Retirement Savings Sustainability Calculator in a new tab

How This Calculator Works (Simply Explained)

To get the most out of this tool, it is helpful to understand the key inputs that drive the results:

Portfolio Asset Allocation: The mix of stocks, bonds, and cash in your portfolio.
Withdrawal Strategy: Modeling constant dollar withdrawals versus variable withdrawals based on market performance.
Sequence of Returns: Modeling how early-career market losses impact overall portfolio sustainability.

By adjusting these inputs, you can model different financial scenarios to see how subtle shifts in your savings rate or portfolio return can impact your long-term wealth.

Scenario: The Power of Planning in Action

Consider this hypothetical scenario: An executive in Draper, UT, retires with a $2 million portfolio. If they experience a flat market for the first three years while withdrawing a hypothetical $90,000 annually, their portfolio sustainability decreases much faster than if they experienced market gains early on. Modeling these hypothetical scenarios allows us to build ‘guardrails’—such as keeping a cash reserve—to protect the retirement plan.

This scenario highlights how consistent actions and a clear timeline can remove the guesswork from your finances, transforming abstract goals into a concrete roadmap.

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FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

What is portfolio sustainability in retirement?

Portfolio sustainability refers to the probability that your investment portfolio will not be depleted prior to the end of your retirement horizon under various market conditions.

How does sequence of returns risk affect sustainability?

Sequence of returns risk is the hazard that market declines early in retirement, combined with withdrawals, will permanently deplete your portfolio’s compounding base.

How can I increase my retirement portfolio sustainability?

You can increase sustainability by lowering your withdrawal rate, holding a cash reserve to avoid selling during down markets, or utilizing a dynamic withdrawal strategy.

Beyond the Numbers: Why Fiduciary Advice Matters

While this calculator provides a helpful baseline, it only tells part of the story. Static online tools cannot account for:

Tax Location Strategies: Maximizing the balance between Roth, Traditional, and taxable brokerage accounts.
Utah-Specific Tax Rules: How state income tax and retirement exclusions impact your bottom line.
Asset Allocation vs. Risk Tolerance: Aligning your investments with your actual comfort level.

At Salt Lake Financial Planning, we specialize in providing fee-based fiduciary financial planning and investment management that looks at your entire financial life. We help you move past basic calculator math to build a personalized, tax-efficient strategy.

We worked with Dallas for a comprehensive financial plan. He took the time to understand all aspects of our current finances and our goals and dreams. He helped us see where we were doing well and how we could improve. Knowing the full picture and how to proceed so that we can reach our goals gave us peace of mind and confidence. Thank you so much Dallas!

Travis G

Dallas has consistently been an incredible resource, from everything from car insurance to budgeting to retirement planning. He truly cares & has a great way of communicating options & suggestions. I refer him to people all the time.

Jenelle K

These statements are testimonials by clients of the financial professional as of 05/30/2026. The clients have not been paid or received any other compensation for making these statements. As a result the clients do not receive any material incentives or benefits for providing the testimonials. These views may not be representative of the views of other clients and are not indicative of future performance or success.

Ready to take control of your financial roadmap? Schedule an Initial Strategy Meeting with Dallas Price today to discuss your goals in Sandy, Draper, or South Jordan.

Compliance Disclosures

Any perceived advice is general and broad in nature and not meant to substitute direct consultation and advising. Please contact the applicable professional to go over your situation. Schedule an Initial Strategy Meeting if you’d like more 1-1 advice.

Calculations are for illustrative purposes only, do not represent actual performance of any investment, and do not reflect taxes or advisory fees, which would lower returns.