Required Minimum Distribution
Estimate the required minimum distribution from a retirement account.
About Required Minimum Distribution
The IRS requires withdrawing a minimum from retirement accounts after a certain age. The account balance is divided by a life-expectancy factor that shrinks as you age, so the required amount rises over time. Missing an RMD triggers steep penalties, so estimating the required amount helps avoid a costly compliance mistake.
Formula
Required Minimum Distribution
RMD = account balance / life-expectancy factor
- factor
- life expectancy divisor from the uniform lifetime table
Worked example
With the default values below, Required Minimum Distribution returns Required Distribution of $18,867.92. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Account balance
- 500,000
- Ageaccepts 60–120
- 73
Results
- Required Distribution
- $18,867.92
- Monthly Equivalent
- $1,572.33
- Distribution Percent
- 3.77%
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Required Minimum Distribution
- 3Required Distribution= 18,867.92
- 4Monthly Equivalent= 1,572.33
- 5Distribution Percent= 3.77
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
- This is an estimate for general information and not professional financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Required Minimum Distribution calculated?
RMD = account balance / life-expectancy factor The IRS requires withdrawing a minimum from retirement accounts after a certain age. The account balance is divided by a life-expectancy factor that shrinks as you age, so the required amount rises over time.
Why does Required Minimum Distribution matter?
Missing an RMD triggers steep penalties, so estimating the required amount helps avoid a costly compliance mistake.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Account balance, Age. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.