Total US Bond Market: 20-year retirement

Last Update: 28 February 2023

Do you have in mind a 20 years retirement, investing in the Total US Bond Market asset class?

According to the historical returns and stats of the asset class, which has been a sustainable withdrawal rate to live off your investiment?

Worst case scenario so far, over a 20-year time horizon, you could have withdrawn 3.66% of your initial capital each year, kept withdrawing all the time (adjusting for inflation), and you wouldn't have run out of money before 20 years.

Considering the last 20 years (last update: February 2023), a safe withdrawal rate would have been 5.919%.

The last 20 years of the Total US Bond Market asset class

Over the last 20 years (last update: February 2023), the asset class has returned 2.89% annualized, with a maximum drawdown of -17.28%.

The Withdrawal Rates calculated here are annualized and refer to the initial capital (not the current!). The first month withdrawal is 1/12 of that annualized withdrawal and it's adjusted for inflation for each subsequent month.

A Perpetual Withdrawal Rate (PWR) protected the original inflation adjusted capital.

A Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR) didn't protect the original capital, but the investment didn't run out of money during retirement. The capital went to zero exaclty at the end of the retirement period.

Learn more about Withdrawal Rate simulation
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Timeframes ending at Feb 2023
Withdrawal Rate (%)
Investment Performances
Timeframe Period from Period to Perpetual Safe Ann.Return(%)
[ Infl.Adj. ]		 Max
Drawdown(%)
20 Years 1 Mar 2003
 28 Feb 2023 0.454 5.919 2.89
[ 0.40 ] 		-17.28
Aug 2020 - Oct 2022
Simulations are calculated with actual returns of Total US Bond Market Asset Class | Preserved capital and withdrawals are considered adjusted for inflation | Withdrawals happen monthly | Performances are calculated in USD dollars, considering reinvestment of dividends when applicable | Inflation is updated at January 2023

For a complete view of the asset class and all the possible strategies, please refer to Total US Bond Market page.

Withdrawal Rates Simulation (updated at Feb 2023)

How much would it be an acceptable withdrawal rate, for the Total US Bond Market asset class?

Analyzing the available data source, all the 20-years timeframes have been considered to calculate the withdrawal rates and their success percentage.

Legend:
SWR 100% Success
PWR 100% Capital Protection
Period: Jan 1871 - Feb 2023
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PWR (%) - Perpetual Withdrawal Rate
SWR (%) - Safe Withdrawal Rate
Preserved Capital 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Success Rate 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 95% 90% 80% 50%
Minimum
Worst Period (from) 		0.000
May 1897 		0.000
Jan 1899 		0.947
Aug 1939 		2.376
Aug 1939 		3.660
Feb 1941 		4.156
95% Succ. 		4.596
90% Succ. 		4.821
80% Succ. 		5.978
50% Succ.
Median 2.128
 2.972
 3.900
 4.863
 5.978
Average 2.413
 3.269
 4.294
 5.325
 6.357
Maximum
Best Period (from) 		8.560
Apr 1873 		9.268
Mar 1873 		9.994
Mar 1873 		10.720
Mar 1873 		11.445
Mar 1873
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Key
Withdrawal
Rates (%) 		Success Rate
100% 95% 90% 80% 50%
Preserved Capital 100% 0.000
 0.000
 0.000
 0.018
 2.128
75% 0.000
 0.154
 0.454
 1.256
 2.972
50% 0.947
 1.632
 1.819
 2.473
 3.900
25% 2.376
 2.967
 3.315
 3.661
 4.863
0% 3.660
 4.156
 4.596
 4.821
 5.978
Period: Mar 1923 - Feb 2023
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PWR (%) - Perpetual Withdrawal Rate
SWR (%) - Safe Withdrawal Rate
Preserved Capital 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Success Rate 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 95% 90% 80% 50%
Minimum
Worst Period (from) 		0.000
Apr 1932 		0.000
Sep 1938 		0.947
Aug 1939 		2.376
Aug 1939 		3.660
Feb 1941 		4.025
95% Succ. 		4.245
90% Succ. 		4.739
80% Succ. 		5.625
50% Succ.
Median 1.732
 2.742
 3.595
 4.560
 5.625
Average 2.049
 2.908
 3.975
 5.051
 6.127
Maximum
Best Period (from) 		8.399
Oct 1981 		9.089
Oct 1981 		9.779
Oct 1981 		10.469
Oct 1981 		11.158
Oct 1981
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Key
Withdrawal
Rates (%) 		Success Rate
100% 95% 90% 80% 50%
Preserved Capital 100% 0.000
 0.000
 0.000
 0.000
 1.732
75% 0.000
 0.088
 0.364
 0.721
 2.742
50% 0.947
 1.529
 1.742
 2.188
 3.595
25% 2.376
 2.834
 2.994
 3.506
 4.560
0% 3.660
 4.025
 4.245
 4.739
 5.625
Period: Mar 1973 - Feb 2023
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PWR (%) - Perpetual Withdrawal Rate
SWR (%) - Safe Withdrawal Rate
Preserved Capital 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Success Rate 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 95% 90% 80% 50%
Minimum
Worst Period (from) 		0.449
Nov 2002 		1.820
Mar 2003 		3.186
Mar 2003 		4.553
Mar 2003 		5.281
Mar 1973 		5.961
95% Succ. 		6.138
90% Succ. 		6.308
80% Succ. 		7.149
50% Succ.
Median 3.694
 4.549
 5.416
 6.293
 7.149
Average 3.954
 4.807
 5.661
 6.514
 7.368
Maximum
Best Period (from) 		8.399
Oct 1981 		9.089
Oct 1981 		9.779
Oct 1981 		10.469
Oct 1981 		11.158
Oct 1981
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Key
Withdrawal
Rates (%) 		Success Rate
100% 95% 90% 80% 50%
Preserved Capital 100% 0.449
 2.002
 2.351
 2.849
 3.694
75% 1.820
 3.059
 3.335
 3.748
 4.549
50% 3.186
 3.961
 4.273
 4.649
 5.416
25% 4.553
 4.868
 5.263
 5.497
 6.293
0% 5.281
 5.961
 6.138
 6.308
 7.149
Simulations are calculated with actual returns of Total US Bond Market Asset Class | Preserved capital and withdrawals are considered adjusted for inflation | Withdrawals happen monthly | Performances are calculated in USD dollars, considering reinvestment of dividends when applicable | Inflation is updated at January 2023

Withdrawals and Success Rate

If you had implemented a specific Withdrawal Strategy with the Total US Bond Market asset class, over 20 years, which would have been the success rate so far?

Simulations follow the same rules mentioned before. Withdrawals are expressed as yearly rates and refer to the initial capital. After that, withdrawal amount is monthly adjusted for inflation.

Success rates are calculated over all 20-year timeframes available in the data source. To focus on a specific withdrawal rate, click on the links in the table.

Period: Jan 1871 - Feb 2023
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Withdrawal
Rate
20 Years
% Fail
% Success over 20 Years - on % Preserved Capital
% Success Percentile No Capital
Preserved		 0%
Preserved 		25%
Preserved 		50%
Preserved 		75%
Preserved 		100%
Preserved
2.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
86.58
64.34
53.18
2.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
98.36
79.46
56.58
43.10
3.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
93.64
66.60
49.84
36.23
3.50 %
100.00
100% Succ.
3.660% 		0.00
100.00
86.01
53.81
44.11
30.18
4.00 %
97.35
95% Succ.
4.156% 		2.65
97.35
68.37
48.90
35.85
25.27
4.50 %
92.19
90% Succ.
4.596% 		7.81
92.19
52.93
44.74
28.92
17.01
5.00 %
72.15
27.85
72.15
48.90
35.54
23.31
13.17
5.50 %
54.63
50% Succ.
5.978% 		45.37
54.63
44.11
27.54
15.31
10.96
6.00 %
49.78
50.22
49.78
35.22
21.42
12.35
8.82
6.50 %
43.04
56.96
43.04
27.22
14.05
9.70
6.43
7.00 %
34.97
65.03
34.97
19.53
11.47
7.44
4.41
7.50 %
26.84
73.16
26.84
13.04
8.51
5.29
2.90
8.00 %
18.59
81.41
18.59
10.21
5.80
3.53
1.64
Legend: Min% of Protected Capital
Min 0%
Min 25%
Min 50%
Min 75%
Min 100%
Period: Mar 1923 - Feb 2023
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Withdrawal
Rate
20 Years
% Fail
% Success over 20 Years - on % Preserved Capital
% Success Percentile No Capital
Preserved		 0%
Preserved 		25%
Preserved 		50%
Preserved 		75%
Preserved 		100%
Preserved
2.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
81.48
59.00
48.91
2.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
97.29
73.99
51.51
39.96
3.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
89.49
62.64
46.93
33.30
3.50 %
100.00
100% Succ.
3.660% 		0.00
100.00
80.23
51.30
41.42
26.01
4.00 %
95.63
95% Succ.
4.025% 		4.37
95.63
65.45
45.58
32.88
19.15
4.50 %
87.83
80% Succ.
4.739% 		12.17
87.83
50.78
41.52
24.35
9.78
5.00 %
70.76
29.24
70.76
45.27
32.05
16.96
7.49
5.50 %
53.28
50% Succ.
5.625% 		46.72
53.28
39.75
22.68
8.12
6.66
6.00 %
46.72
53.28
46.72
31.53
14.98
6.97
4.79
6.50 %
38.19
61.81
38.19
23.41
7.60
5.62
2.91
7.00 %
30.80
69.20
30.80
13.01
6.66
3.75
1.87
7.50 %
23.41
76.59
23.41
7.18
4.68
2.39
0.83
8.00 %
13.22
86.78
13.22
5.83
2.81
1.56
0.31
Legend: Min% of Protected Capital
Min 0%
Min 25%
Min 50%
Min 75%
Min 100%
Period: Mar 1973 - Feb 2023
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Withdrawal
Rate
20 Years
% Fail
% Success over 20 Years - on % Preserved Capital
% Success Percentile No Capital
Preserved		 0%
Preserved 		25%
Preserved 		50%
Preserved 		75%
Preserved 		100%
Preserved
2.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
98.34
95.01
2.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
96.95
88.09
3.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
95.01
75.07
3.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
98.06
86.15
56.79
4.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
94.18
70.91
41.00
4.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
85.60
52.08
25.76
5.00 %
100.00
100% Succ.
5.281% 		0.00
100.00
93.07
62.05
35.46
19.94
5.50 %
97.78
95% Succ.
5.961% 		2.22
97.78
79.78
46.54
21.61
17.73
6.00 %
93.91
90% Succ.
6.138% 		6.09
93.91
59.28
30.19
18.56
12.74
6.50 %
74.24
25.76
74.24
41.27
20.22
14.96
7.76
7.00 %
55.96
50% Succ.
7.149% 		44.04
55.96
24.10
17.73
9.97
4.99
7.50 %
37.95
62.05
37.95
19.11
12.47
6.37
2.22
8.00 %
21.05
78.95
21.05
15.51
7.48
4.16
0.83
Legend: Min% of Protected Capital
Min 0%
Min 25%
Min 50%
Min 75%
Min 100%
Simulations are calculated with actual returns of Total US Bond Market Asset Class | Preserved capital and withdrawals are considered adjusted for inflation | Withdrawals happen monthly | Performances are calculated in USD dollars, considering reinvestment of dividends when applicable | Inflation is updated at January 2023

Related Pages

Asset Class Main Page:
Total US Bond Market Asset Class

For the Total US Bond Market Asset Class, we have prepared a report for each available timeframe:
20-Year    30-Year    40-Year    50-Year    60-Year    70-Year   

if you want to learn more about the statistics of a specific withdrawal rate, we suggest these in particular:
2%    2.5%    3%    3.5%    4%    4.5%    5%   

Website Homepage:
BestRetirementPortfolio.com

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