Free calculators · Required minimum distributions
How much is my required minimum distribution?
Take last December 31’s balance and divide it by the IRS distribution period for your age. Enter your numbers to see this year’s RMD, when your RMDs start, and how the next ten years could look.
Required this year
$0
Want a CFP® professional to check this number? Free 30 minutes, in person at a Fidelity Bank branch or by video.
Book a free 30 minutes| Year | Age | Starting balance | Distribution period | Required distribution |
|---|
Hypothetical and educational only. Results are estimates from the figures you enter and the rules cited below. They do not account for every factor in your situation, are not a guarantee of any result, and are not tax, legal, or investment advice. The ten-year view assumes the growth rate you enter every year and that you take exactly the required amount; real returns vary.
When do RMDs start?
Federal law sets the starting age at 73 for people who reach 72 after 2022 and 73 before 2033, and at 75 for people who reach 74 after 2032. In practice that means 73 if you were born 1951 through 1959 and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. The first RMD can wait until April 1 of the following year; after that, each one is due by December 31.
Why the RMD grows as a share of the account
The distribution period shrinks every year, from 26.5 at 73 to 20.2 at 80 and 12.2 at 90. The required share of the account rises from about 3.8 percent at 73 to about 8.2 percent at 90, so a growing account can produce growing taxable income just when Social Security and Medicare premiums are also on the line. Planning the years before RMDs start, including Roth conversions, is often where the leverage is.
For a walk-through of a first RMD, see the free RMD worksheet from Your First RMD, Made Simple.
Questions people ask
- How is a required minimum distribution calculated?
- Divide the account balance on December 31 of last year by the distribution period for your age this year from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. At 75, for example, the period is 24.6, so a $500,000 balance means a required distribution of about $20,325.
- At what age do RMDs start?
- Under current law the starting age is 73 for people born 1951 through 1959 and 75 for people born in 1960 or later. Your first RMD is for the year you reach that age and can be delayed until April 1 of the next year. Every later RMD is due by December 31.
- What if I delay my first RMD to April 1?
- Then you take two distributions in the same calendar year: the delayed first one by April 1 and the second one by December 31. Both count as income that year, which can push you into a higher tax bracket or a Medicare IRMAA surcharge.
- Does this work for an inherited IRA?
- No. Inherited IRAs follow different rules, including the 10-year rule for most non-spouse beneficiaries. This calculator is for your own IRA or retirement plan using the Uniform Lifetime Table.
- What if my spouse is more than 10 years younger?
- If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and more than 10 years younger, you use the Joint and Last Survivor Table instead, which produces a smaller required distribution. This calculator does not cover that case.
What to do with the number
A calculator gives you a number. Here is how to turn it into a decision.
Get one money question answered every morning, with the math shown.
One email every morning: one money question, the math shown, the government page it came from. Free. Unsubscribe with one click.
Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Fidelity Bank and Fidelity Bank Wealth Management are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Fidelity Bank Wealth Management, and may also be employees of Fidelity Bank. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Fidelity Bank or Fidelity Bank Wealth Management.
- Not Insured by FDIC or Any Other Government Agency
- Not Bank Guaranteed
- Not Bank Deposits or Obligations
- May Lose Value
The LPL Financial registered representative associated with this site may discuss and transact securities business only with residents of the states in which they are properly registered or licensed. No offer may be made or accepted from any resident of any other state.
This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Neither LPL Financial nor its representatives provide legal or tax advice; please consult your attorney or tax advisor regarding your specific situation. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Examples are hypothetical and for illustration only.