Retirement-minded investors have likely heard of the so-called "4% rule." Indeed, current retirees may well be utilizing the rule, which determines how much of your retirement savings you can spend every year without outliving your money. And as far as rules of thumb go, it's not a bad one to embrace.

If you think the rule is bulletproof, though, think again. There's another way of thinking about preserving your savings through your retirement that could prove more realistic and more beneficial.

Never heard of it? It's simple enough. The 4% rule says that in your first year of retirement, you can withdraw 4% of your total retirement savings and then raise that amount every year by the annual rate of inflation without outliving your money.

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Source Fool.com