September 2023 Market Watch
Markets took a breather from the summer rally as major indices pulled back in August.
August 18, 2022
Markets took a breather from the summer rally as major indices pulled back in August.
Stocks continued to have fun in the sun as markets extended their summer rally.
We’re at the halfway point of 2023, and what a difference a year can make.
Back in 1994, former financial advisor William Bengen devised the 4% rule as a spending strategy for retirees. His original paper went into greater detail, but it was boiled down into an idea offering a simple way for people not to overspend their money and outlive their savings. To calculate the total, an individual would add up all of their investments and multiply by 4% to figure out year one. In each year following, inflation would be taken into account in order to determine the new withdrawal amount. For example, if someone had $1 million, the first year would be $40,000. If inflation rose by 5% next year, then he or she would withdraw $42,000 in year two.
The concept is straightforward and was a safe strategy for any 30 year period, even when including the Great Depression, the dot-com bubble, and the 2008 financial crisis, but does it still hold up in today’s economic environment?
As a baseline, the 4% withdrawal rate could still be used successfully. First, having a plan is better than guessing and secondly, the original study ignored Social Security, pensions, and other incomes, so it provides a more conservative estimate.
However, it is not without its faults. As mentioned, other incomes not being accounted for is a potential benefit, but this is not the only consideration left out. For example, the study was based on a 50/50 portfolio and thus disregards risk tolerance. Additionally, the following factors could impact retirement spending when taking portfolio distributions:
With all that being said, the 4% rule could still provide a solid starting point for retirement spending. It is important to not view it as a rigid, set in stone philosophy though. Your situation will differ from other individuals and could change at any point from one year to the next. Taking into account all personal and external factors can help determine an appropriate amount to spend and should be reviewed regularly as part of your overall financial plan.
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Winnow Wealth, LLC (“Winnow Wealth”) is a Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”), located in the State of Texas. Winnow Wealth provides investment advisory and related services for clients nationally. Winnow Wealth will maintain all applicable registration and licenses as required by the various states in which Winnow Wealth conducts business, as applicable. Winnow Wealth renders individualized responses to persons in a particular state only after complying with all regulatory requirements, or pursuant to an applicable state exemption or exclusion. Investment advisory services also offered through Brookstone Wealth Advisors (BWA), a registered investment advisor. Winnow Wealth & BWA are independent of each other.