The Four Percent Rule is a rule of thumb used to determine how much a retiree should withdraw from a retirement account each year. This rule seeks to provide a steady income stream to the retiree while also maintaining an account balance that keeps income flowing through retirement.

The 4% rule is easy to follow. 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.

The 4% rule refers to how much money you withdraw each year after you retire. It states that you should use no more than 4% of the value of your portfolio of stock and bonds in the first year after you stop working. For example, if you have $100,000 when you retire, the 4% rule would say you could withdraw about 4% of that amount.