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Plan depletion age, in plain terms

The scariest question in retirement is "will my money run out?" The depletion age is the model's answer — and the levers that move it.

What it means

•The depletion age is the first year your accounts can't fully fund your spending target.
•If it's past your end age, the plan is sustainable; if it's before, you have a gap to close.
•Government benefits (CPP/OAS) keep paying after accounts are gone — so depletion isn't zero income, just a shortfall below target.

Levers to push it later

•Lower spending — the single biggest lever; the "Optimize income target" mode finds the max sustainable level.
•Defer CPP/OAS to 70 — bigger guaranteed cheques late in life reduce how much you pull from accounts early.
•Higher returns — but treat this cautiously; the sensitivity panel shows the downside too.
•More starting capital or a later retirement — working even 1–2 extra years adds a lot of runway.

Longevity risk

•Planning to 95 leaves a 1-in-4 chance of living longer — so a plan that depletes at 90 carries real risk.
•Deferred CPP and OAS are longevity insurance: they pay more the longer you live, with no market risk.

Find your depletion age

The Sequencer flags the first shortfall age and the "Optimize" mode finds the spending that avoids it.