The Difference Between ‘Safe’ and ‘Optimal’ Withdrawal Rates for Retirement Spending

Distinguishing between “safe” withdrawal rates and “optimal” withdrawal rates is an essential piece of the retirement spending conversation.
Taking Portfolio Spending Into the Real World for Retirees

There has been too much emphasis on the portfolio and spending conservatively to keep failure rates low. This is not the whole story for retirement income. Certain circumstances, which we will explore, may allow retirees to accept a higher probability of “failure,” and spend more aggressively from their investment portfolio.
What Can the Retirement CARE Analysis™ Tell You About Your Retirement Plan?

The Retirement CARE Analysis can help you figure out your asset allocation and an appropriate spending rate for retirement.
The Possibilities of Broader Diversification in Retirement

Often, retirees are limited to accepting whatever a researcher assumes about market returns in order to obtain guidance about sustainable spending rates. I proposed a general framework for determining a safe withdrawal rate for a given retirement duration, acceptable failure probability, asset allocation, and capital market expectations.
Should You Use a Rising Equity Glide Path in Retirement?

Retirement income comes in many forms. Wade Pfau considers the pros and cons of a rising equity glide path.
The Dangers of Putting Our Faith in Statistics

Statistics are great and all, but just because the numbers say something will happen doesn’t make it the gospel truth.
Which Makes More Sense for Retirees: A Total-Return or Income Portfolio?

Total-return investing focuses on building diversified portfolios from stocks and bonds to seek greater long-term investment growth.
How Can I Manage Sequence Risk in Retirement?

Sequence of returns risk is a major concern for even the most well-prepared retirees, but there are steps you can take to manage it.
Understanding the Funded Ratio

Everyone wants to know where they stand with their finances – Will I be able to have the retirement I want? Do I have enough? Roughly how far do I have to go? Am I overfunded (believe me, it happens)?
Dynamic Programming Methods For Retirement Income

In addition to other methods we’ve discussed, a third type of variable spending model uses dynamic programming methods. These methods rely on complex computing power and mathematical equations to integrate spending and asset allocation decisions more completely over the life cycle.
Dynamic programming provides a road map at each point in time for optimal spending and asset allocation, which have been determined by first considering optimal future behavior stemming from today’s decisions.