What this RMD estimate means
A required minimum distribution is the amount tax rules generally require you to take each year from certain tax-deferred retirement accounts after you reach your RMD start age. This free calculator estimates: balance ÷ Uniform Lifetime Table divisor for your age — once RMDs apply.
That is the same family of math the Retirement Planning Center uses when it shows RMD lines in year-by-year cash flow. On this public page we keep a single combined tax-deferred balance for clarity. The full plan can track multiple accounts and how RMD dollars cover spending versus reinvest into taxable.
Start ages (SECURE Act / SECURE 2.0 sketch)
Birth year maps roughly to start ages used elsewhere in this app: before 1951 → 72; 1951–1959 → 73; 1960 and later → 75. Always verify against current IRS publications and your specific account types. First-year timing (including possible delays into the following calendar year) is simplified here.
How the multi-year table works
Optional forward years assume you take the estimated RMD, then grow the remaining balance at the rate you enter. Divisors change with age. This is a sketch for planning conversations — not a custodian statement and not advice.
How this page differs from our other free tools
- Roth conversion calculator — educational federal tax on voluntary conversions (standalone; not in the projection engine).
- Spending Capacity — lifestyle funding, not distribution mandates.
- Full planner — RMDs inside household cash flow with account flags and withdrawal order.
Important limitations
Uniform Lifetime Table only. No QCD, joint-life, inherited-IRA, or employer-plan still-working exceptions. No income tax on the distribution. See RMD methodology and IRS Publication 590-B. Educational only — not tax advice.
Jim & Susan’s sample plan shows RMDs in a full household story. Create a free account to model your own tax-deferred accounts.