We talk with hundreds of individuals and families every year, and many of the questions they ask come back to one core concern. Can my retirement plan really survive the messy, unpredictable situations that happen in real life. Instead of only looking at straight line projections or average returns, Chad and Allison walk through how to "stress test" your plan with real world what if scenarios so you can build confidence before a crisis hits.

In this episode, you will hear three of the biggest what if questions clients have been asking over the past year.

• What happens if there is a major market crash right as you retire?
• What if you retire earlier than expected, either by choice or by force?
• What if there is a major health shock for you or your spouse?

Rather than focusing on doom and gloom, the goal is to rehearse these situations on paper so that when life happens, you already have a plan for how to respond.

We also share a simple three-step framework you can use to run your own retirement stress test at home. You will learn how to identify the what-ifs that matter most to you, estimate their impact on your spending and timeline, and choose proactive moves that make your plan more resilient. Along the way, they discuss sequence of returns risk, health insurance bridges before Medicare, using taxable brokerage accounts strategically, and how to think about funding future healthcare needs without overpaying for insurance you may not need.

Outline of This Episode

• [00:00] Retirement stress testing.
• [04:50] Key questions to ask about a 25 to 50 percent portfolio decline, spending flexibility, and your safety bucket.
• [09:20] Transition to scenario two, early retirement before age 65 and why health insurance is such a critical factor.
• [13:30] Cash in the bank versus long term growth.
• [17:20] Healthcare shocks and long term care needs that can show up later in retirement.
• [21:00] How HSAs, disability insurance, and understanding your deductibles and out of pocket maximums fit into the picture.

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📰 See the full show notes here

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