What Income Horizon is
Income Horizon is a free retirement income planner and a set of calculators built around one idea: the best way to judge a retirement plan is to see how it would have held up through real markets, including the worst ones. Instead of a single average-return projection, every result replays your numbers through actual U.S. market history since 1928.
The site focuses on the spending side of retirement: how much you can withdraw, how to adjust when markets fall, and how to avoid selling investments at the bottom. Our core tools cover the 4% rule, guardrails, the two-bucket strategy and a combined guardrail-bucket plan.
How we work
- Show the answer. Every calculator on this site gives you its full result without signing up.
- Calm, honest language. We describe results as “historically sustainable under these assumptions” and never promise that a plan is guaranteed. Past markets can’t promise future ones.
- Show our work. Our methodology lists every data source, rule and limitation.
- No commissions. We don’t sell investments or insurance. Income Horizon is supported by optional paid features, never by product sales.
- Same rules for every strategy. Every plan, including our own combined guardrail-bucket plan, is tested on the same data, and we show where it falls short.
Who it’s for
People within about ten years of retirement who want to know how much they can spend, and people already retired who want a simple yearly check-in. If you work with a financial planner, our printable plan and advisor questions are designed to make that conversation more productive.
Disclosures
Income Horizon is an educational tool, not financial, tax, legal or investment advice, and it is not a registered investment adviser. Results are hypothetical and based on historical index data that may contain rounding differences from the original sources. They ignore taxes and fees. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Please consider talking with a fiduciary financial professional before making decisions about your retirement.
If you sign up for email, we use your address to unlock the full planner and, if you choose, to send The Income Horizon Monthly. You can unsubscribe at any time.