Ratcheting Up Retirement Spending
In 2015, Michael Kitces proposed a ratcheting rule for retirement spending that shared the basic framework of constant inflation-adjusted spending while still allowing spending to increase if the portfolio performs well in retirement. As with many of these rules, the ratcheting rule could be implemented in numerous ways.
Seeking A Fixed Percentage Approach To Retirement Spending
The fixed percentage withdrawal strategy is the polar opposite of constant inflation-adjusted spending. Subsequent strategies we consider will strive to strike a balance between these two. This fixed percentage strategy calls for retirees to spend a constant percentage of the remaining portfolio balance in each year of retirement.
The Problems With A Constant Retirement Spending Strategy
The first method to be tested is the original constant inflation-adjusted withdrawal strategy introduced in William Bengen’s 1994 article, “Determining Withdrawal Rates Using Historical Data.” This will serve as a baseline for subsequent comparison with other strategies. Bengen’s rule says to adjust spending annually for inflation and maintain constant inflation-adjusted spending until the portfolio depletes.
The Perks Of Being A Flexible Spender In Retirement
William Bengen’s 1994 article introduced the concept of the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals. He defined the sustainable spending rate as the percentage of retirement date assets which can be withdrawn, with this amount adjusted for inflation in subsequent years, such that the retirement portfolio is not depleted for at least thirty years.
Which Are You More Worried About: Running Out Of Money While You’re Alive Or Dying?
As David Blanchett says: failure is really only failure if wealth is depleted while you are still alive, not just over an arbitrarily long time period.
How Long Can Retirees Expect To Live Once They Hit 65?
Life expectancy is tricky. Average life expectancy at birth is 71 years, but it’s constantly changing depending on your age and myriad other factors.
What Type Of Retirement Spender Will You Be?
In August 2015, J.P. Morgan Asset Management released a study about retirement spending by Katherine Roy and Sharon Carson. In analyzing the expenditures for their diverse consumer base, they identified four retirement spending profiles and an additional category of miscellaneous individuals.
What Is Age Banding And What Does It Mean For Retirees?
Another important contribution in the area of retirement spending patterns is Somnath Basu’s 2005 article “Age Banding: A Model for Planning Retirement Needs.” Though it provided a comprehensive retirement planning framework, I want to focus specifically on the findings that covered post-retirement spending patterns.
Retirement Spending Increases And Decreases Over Time
An important simplifying assumption in William Bengen’s research is that retirees spend constant inflation-adjusted amounts throughout retirement. This may be at odds with the spending patterns of many retirees.
What If Retirees Don’t Want To Run Out Of Money In 30 Years?
Traditional safe withdrawal rate literature regularly makes the assumption that retirees will choose a withdrawal rate that will leave precisely no wealth after the final withdrawal in the thirtieth year of retirement. This can leave them playing a game of chicken as their wealth plummets toward zero.
