🎙️ Episode #334 – The Man Behind the 4% Rule: Bill Bengen on Inflation, Flexibility, and a Richer Retirement

What if the greatest risk to your retirement portfolio isn't a market crash—but inflation?

In this episode of Money Matters, Christopher Hensley, RICP®, sits down with Bill Bengen, the creator of the legendary 4% Rule for safe withdrawal rates. Now, 30 years later, Bengen reflects on what still holds up, what's changed, and how retirees and advisors can adapt withdrawal strategies in a world of sticky inflation, volatile markets, and longer life expectancies.

Whether you're planning your own retirement or advising clients on income strategies, this conversation delivers clarity, context, and practical insights from one of the most influential figures in modern financial planning.

💡 Topics Covered:

• Why inflation is the true enemy of retirement

• How Bengen's thinking on the 4% Rule has evolved in 2025

• The importance of flexibility in withdrawal rates

• Guardrails, gifting, and building a more human retirement

• Why diversification now includes 7 asset classes

• A behind-the-scenes look at how the 4% Rule research went viral

📘 Get the Book: A Richer Retirement by Bill Bengen — available now on Amazon and major booksellers.

🎧 Host: Christopher Hensley, RICP®, CES®