Is Your Retirement Income Built for This Market?
Three principles to help you find stability when everything feels uncertain.
Navigating Retirement in a Shifting Landscape
If you’ve recently retired—or are thinking about making the leap—it’s probably not lost on you that this market feels... off.
Big headlines about tariffs, inflation, and interest rate uncertainty aren’t just market noise. They can shake even the most carefully built retirement plans. At the same time, wild market swings like April’s 10%+ drop in the S&P followed by the occasional rally day show us just how hard it is to “time it right”.
The good news? You don’t need to predict the market. You just need a retirement income plan that’s built to handle it.
#1: Focus on Cash Flow, Not Forecasts
Pre-retirement financial advice often focuses on accumulation—but once you retire, the game changes. It's about distribution and sustainability.
This is where cash flow planning becomes your best friend. Instead of trying to outguess market cycles, we help clients design income strategies that:
Prioritize essential spending needs (housing, health care, daily expenses),
Reserve contingency cash to avoid selling investments in down markets,
Use multiple sources of income—Social Security, retirement accounts, even part-time work—to build flexibility.
It’s not about budgeting for scarcity; it’s about funding the life you want with the confidence of knowing where the money comes from and how long it will last.
#2: Protect Against the Sequence of Returns Risk
A steep market drop early in retirement can have a lasting impact—even if markets recover. This is called sequence risk, and it’s one of the biggest threats to a secure retirement.
Recent professional research reinforces this concern. For example, analysts note that policy uncertainty and rising tariffs may reduce consumer spending, slow hiring, and weigh on economic confidence—all potential triggers for continued market instability.
So how do you respond? Not with panic—but with planning:
Keep a few years of withdrawals in conservative, liquid assets.
Consider a “bucket strategy” for different time horizons.
Stress-test your plan against down markets (not just average returns).
#3: Tax-Efficient Income = More in Your Pocket
Markets aren't the only factor that can eat into your income. So can taxes.
Many retirees draw income from multiple accounts—tax-deferred IRAs, taxable brokerage accounts, pensions, and more. How and when you draw from them matters.
In today’s environment of high government spending and evolving tax policy, having a flexible withdrawal strategy could make a meaningful difference in how long your money lasts.
Add in smart tactics like:
Coordinating Social Security timing with withdrawals,
Using Roth conversions during low-income years,
Minimizing Medicare premium surcharges,
…and you start to see how a well-structured income plan isn’t just about survival. It’s about confidence, freedom, and purpose.
#4: Let’s Test Your Retirement Income Strategy
You don’t have to do this alone—and you don’t have to guess. If you're asking yourself:
“Do I have enough?”
“Is my plan still strong after the last few months?”
“Could I be doing this smarter?”
Then now’s the perfect time to talk.
📅 Schedule a free 15-minute call
Let’s pressure-test your income plan together. No jargon. No scare tactics. Just smart, steady guidance built for your life.
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please consult a legal, tax, or financial professional for personalized recommendations. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss.
