What's the minimum you're required to withdraw on a $1 million retirement account?

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money What's the minimum you're required to withdraw on a $1 million retirement account? We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Angelica Leicht Angelica Leicht Senior Editor, Managing Your Money Angelica Leicht is the senior editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing roles at The Simple Dollar, Interest, HousingWire and other financial publications. Read Full Bio Angelica Leicht May 7, 2026 / 10:50 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google There are minimum withdrawal rules that could have a big impact on your financial health in retirement. the_burtons/Getty Images Reaching $1 million in your retirement savings is a major milestone, one that many Americans may never achieve. But what you may not realize is that hitting that number doesn't mean you get to decide exactly how and when to access the funds in your retirement account — at least not entirely. That's because, once you reach a certain age, the federal government steps in with its own set of rules, requiring you to start pulling money out of your tax-deferred accounts on a specific schedule, regardless of whether you actually need the income.Those retirement withdrawal rules are perhaps now more relevant than ever. After all, market turbulence, persistent inflation and rising concerns about longevity risk have pushed retirement planning into sharp focus for millions of Americans. And as retirees increasingly rely on traditional IRAs and 401(k)s to fund their later years, the mechanics of how and when they must take withdrawals can have sweeping consequences for their tax bills, their Social Security benefits and the long-term durability of their savings.So, what's t...