Last Update: 30 April 2025

Do you have in mind a 20 years retirement, investing in the Golden Butterfly Portfolio?

Worst case scenario so far, over a 20-year time horizon, you could have withdrawn 4.543% of your initial capital each year, kept withdrawing all the time (adjusting for inflation), and you wouldn't have run out of money before 20 years.

With a 4% withdrawal strategy, you would have lived on your investiment for 20 years in the 100% of cases. In the 60.94% of cases, you would have preserved your initial inflation adjusted capital.

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

The last 20 years of the Golden Butterfly Portfolio

Over the last 20 years (last update: April 2025), the portfolio has returned 7.44% annualized, with a maximum drawdown of -17.95%.

A safe withdrawal rate would have been 8.315%.

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 portfolio didn't run out of money during retirement. The portfolio went to zero exaclty at the end of the retirement period.

Learn more about Withdrawal Rate simulation
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Timeframes ending at Apr 2025
Withdrawal Rate (%)
Investment Performances
Timeframe Period from Period to Perpetual Safe Ann.Return(%)
[ Infl.Adj. ]		 Max
Drawdown(%)
20 Years 1 May 2005
 30 Apr 2025 5.051 8.315 7.44
[ 4.79 ] 		-17.95
Jan 2022 - Sep 2022
Simulations are calculated with actual returns of Golden Butterfly Portfolio | Preserved capital and withdrawals are considered adjusted for inflation | Withdrawals happen monthly | Performances are calculated in USD dollars, considering reinvestment of dividends when applicable | Portfolio is rebalanced each month | Inflation is updated at April 2025

For a complete view of the portfolio and all the possible strategies, please refer to Golden Butterfly Portfolio page.

Withdrawal Rates Simulation (updated at Apr 2025)

How much would it be an acceptable withdrawal rate, for the Golden Butterfly Portfolio?

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 - Apr 2025
Period: May 1925 - Apr 2025
Period: May 1975 - Apr 2025
Swipe left to see all data
WR (%) - Withdrawal Rate, on % Preserved Capital (Infl.Adj)
100%
Preserved		 75%
Preserved		 50%
Preserved		 25%
Preserved		 0%
Preserved
Success 100%
Worst Period (From) 		0.000
Sep 1898 		0.192
Jul 1901 		1.780
Jul 1901 		3.369
Jul 1901 		4.543
Jun 1911
95%
 0.772
 1.896
 3.011
 4.132
 5.095
90%
 2.025
 2.797
 3.619
 4.535
 5.407
80%
 2.964
 3.795
 4.660
 5.523
 6.421
50%
Median WR 		4.660
 5.404
 6.145
 6.903
 7.717
Only 1 case
Best Period (From) 		9.188
Jul 1920 		9.815
Jul 1920 		10.442
Jul 1920 		11.224
Jul 1932 		12.178
Jul 1932
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WR (%) - Withdrawal Rate, on % Preserved Capital (Infl.Adj)
100%
Preserved		 75%
Preserved		 50%
Preserved		 25%
Preserved		 0%
Preserved
Success 100%
Worst Period (From) 		1.758
Mar 1937 		2.625
Mar 1937 		3.492
Mar 1937 		4.359
Mar 1937 		5.216
Feb 1937
95%
 2.752
 3.567
 4.419
 5.219
 6.018
90%
 3.122
 4.013
 4.844
 5.751
 6.478
80%
 3.673
 4.468
 5.263
 6.069
 6.855
50%
Median WR 		4.903
 5.619
 6.365
 7.105
 7.876
Only 1 case
Best Period (From) 		9.051
Jul 1982 		9.731
Jul 1982 		10.410
Jul 1982 		11.224
Jul 1932 		12.178
Jul 1932
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WR (%) - Withdrawal Rate, on % Preserved Capital (Infl.Adj)
100%
Preserved		 75%
Preserved		 50%
Preserved		 25%
Preserved		 0%
Preserved
Success 100%
Worst Period (From) 		4.552
May 1998 		5.254
May 1998 		5.957
May 1998 		6.660
May 1998 		7.357
Aug 1987
95%
 4.819
 5.537
 6.257
 6.949
 7.658
90%
 4.957
 5.685
 6.410
 7.141
 7.839
80%
 5.146
 5.871
 6.603
 7.316
 8.012
50%
Median WR 		5.831
 6.494
 7.163
 7.847
 8.522
Only 1 case
Best Period (From) 		9.051
Jul 1982 		9.731
Jul 1982 		10.410
Jul 1982 		11.089
Jul 1982 		11.768
Jul 1982
Simulations are calculated with actual returns of Golden Butterfly Portfolio | Preserved capital and withdrawals are considered adjusted for inflation | Withdrawals happen monthly | Performances are calculated in USD dollars, considering reinvestment of dividends when applicable | Portfolio is rebalanced each month | Inflation is updated at April 2025

Withdrawals and Success Rate

If you had implemented a specific Withdrawal Strategy with the Golden Butterfly Portfolio, 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 - Apr 2025
Period: May 1925 - Apr 2025
Period: May 1975 - Apr 2025
Swipe left to see all data
Withdrawal
Rate
% Success over 20 Years
% Fail
% Success over 20 Years - on % Preserved Capital (Infl.Adj)
At least 0%
Capital Preserved		 Percentile No Capital
Preserved		 25%
Preserved 		50%
Preserved 		75%
Preserved 		100%
Preserved
2.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
99.88
94.30
90.02
2.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
98.82
91.32
86.36
3.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
95.04
88.47
79.36
3.50 %
100.00
0.00
99.88
91.38
84.44
72.04
4.00 %
100.00
0.00
96.53
86.98
76.94
60.94
4.50 %
100.00
100% Succ.
4.543% 		0.00
90.20
81.65
68.20
51.77
5.00 %
96.09
95% Succ.
5.095% 		3.91
84.25
75.45
56.60
43.65
5.50 %
88.78
11.22
80.16
63.98
48.48
31.00
6.00 %
84.31
80% Succ.
6.421% 		15.69
71.92
52.70
36.02
22.44
6.50 %
78.74
21.26
58.83
42.28
25.79
15.81
7.00 %
67.20
32.80
47.92
29.51
17.61
8.43
7.50 %
55.42
50% Succ.
7.717% 		44.58
34.72
20.27
10.48
4.65
8.00 %
41.66
58.34
23.99
12.96
5.70
1.98
Legend: Min% of Protected Capital
Min 0%
Min 25%
Min 50%
Min 75%
Min 100%
Swipe left to see all data
Withdrawal
Rate
% Success over 20 Years
% Fail
% Success over 20 Years - on % Preserved Capital (Infl.Adj)
At least 0%
Capital Preserved		 Percentile No Capital
Preserved		 25%
Preserved 		50%
Preserved 		75%
Preserved 		100%
Preserved
2.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
99.38
2.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
97.71
3.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
99.17
92.20
3.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
99.90
96.15
83.87
4.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
98.54
90.01
70.24
4.50 %
100.00
0.00
99.38
93.96
78.88
58.48
5.00 %
100.00
100% Succ.
5.216% 		0.00
96.98
88.35
64.31
46.72
5.50 %
99.06
0.94
92.09
73.36
53.80
30.49
6.00 %
95.42
95% Succ.
6.018% 		4.58
82.62
59.63
37.25
19.88
6.50 %
89.70
80% Succ.
6.855% 		10.30
66.39
45.16
23.93
12.28
7.00 %
75.13
24.87
53.28
27.99
13.84
4.37
7.50 %
61.50
50% Succ.
7.876% 		38.50
34.13
16.55
6.35
1.46
8.00 %
44.33
55.67
21.44
8.84
2.19
1.04
Legend: Min% of Protected Capital
Min 0%
Min 25%
Min 50%
Min 75%
Min 100%
Swipe left to see all data
Withdrawal
Rate
% Success over 20 Years
% Fail
% Success over 20 Years - on % Preserved Capital (Infl.Adj)
At least 0%
Capital Preserved		 Percentile No Capital
Preserved		 25%
Preserved 		50%
Preserved 		75%
Preserved 		100%
Preserved
2.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
2.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
3.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
3.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
4.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
4.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
5.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
87.81
5.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
100.00
95.84
61.50
6.00 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
99.72
71.75
41.83
6.50 %
100.00
0.00
100.00
85.32
49.86
25.48
7.00 %
100.00
100% Succ.
7.357% 		0.00
94.46
57.06
28.25
10.53
7.50 %
97.51
95% Succ.
7.658% 		2.49
66.76
33.24
13.85
3.32
8.00 %
82.27
17.73
42.38
18.84
4.71
2.22
Legend: Min% of Protected Capital
Min 0%
Min 25%
Min 50%
Min 75%
Min 100%
Simulations are calculated with actual returns of Golden Butterfly Portfolio | Preserved capital and withdrawals are considered adjusted for inflation | Withdrawals happen monthly | Performances are calculated in USD dollars, considering reinvestment of dividends when applicable | Portfolio is rebalanced each month | Inflation is updated at April 2025

Related Pages

Portfolio Main Page:
Golden Butterfly Portfolio

For the Golden Butterfly Portfolio, we have prepared a report for each available timeframe:
10-Year    20-Year    30-Year    40-Year    50-Year    60-Year    70-Year    80-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