Illustrative only: This is a fictional household and does not show a real client result, guarantee, or personalized recommendation.
At a glance
Household: Sam and Riley, both 65 — fictional and illustrative
Baseline: Retire at 65 with their planned spending
Stress test: Same date and spending with an early market decline
The decision
Sam and Riley were less concerned with the average forecast than with what could happen if poor returns arrived while they were beginning withdrawals.
What changed in the comparison
The stress test showed why the order of returns matters. Lower balances early in retirement may leave less room for later spending, inflation, and unexpected costs.
The real tradeoff
The exercise did not predict a crash. It helped them consider guardrails: a cash reserve, flexible discretionary spending, and a plan to revisit withdrawals after a difficult year.