The First Five Years Matter Most
Why early retirement market drops hit harder than late ones.
If the market drops significantly in your first few years of retirement while you are withdrawing funds, your portfolio may never fully recover. This is called sequence-of-returns risk. It is not about average returns over time; it is about the order of returns. Having two to three years of expenses in cash or stable investments protects you from selling stocks when they are down. This buffer gives your portfolio time to recover without panic.
From Grace
The first few years of retirement withdrawals are the most vulnerable. Let me explain how to build a buffer that protects you.