When a plan meets a pivot: how rate cuts change retiree math When a plan meets a pivot, the math changes, sometimes quietly, sometimes like a bucket of ice water. Picture a retiree who set a steady 4% withdrawal plan in a 5% cash world. In 2023-2024, that felt easy: money market funds routinely printed north of 5%, the Crane 100 Money Fund Index sat around 5.1%-5.2% in late 2023, and 3‑month T‑bills hovered near 5% after the Fed held the policy rate at 5.25%-5.50% from July 2023. A $1 million nest egg could earn roughly $50,000 in cash yield,…

The costliest mistake after a layoff: locking in a bad plan The costliest mistake after a layoff isn’t the layoff. It’s locking in a bad plan, fast. I’ve watched smart people make an emotional, permanent retirement decision in the first 60-90 days because the paycheck stopped, markets looked jumpy, and COBRA quotes made their eyes water. I get it. Stress compresses time. But that first quarter after a job loss is exactly when permanent moves, cashing out a 401(k), claiming Social Security at 62, pulling a big IRA distribution, can drain decades of wealth in a hurry. Here’s my take,…

What pros wish everyone knew before pulling the ripcord If you’re asking yourself “should-i-retire-amid-higher-inflation-and-layoffs,” you’re not alone. The headlines feel loud this year, rate cuts keep getting pushed around, the 10‑year Treasury has hovered in the mid‑4s for much of 2024-2025, and big-company layoff stories pop up every few days. But here’s the quiet truth pros keep coming back to: retirement readiness lives or dies on cash‑flow math, sequence risk, and your ability to adapt, way more than whatever the front page screams this week. Let me set the table with actual numbers. Inflation cooled from the 8.0% CPI average…