2025
January 31, 2025
How Much Can You Afford to Spend, Not Withdraw, in Retirement?
January 23, 2025
Beware the Retirement Income Death Spiral
January 19, 2025
Retirement Researcher Advocates Actuarial Concepts for Adjusting Spending in Retirement
January 11, 2025
Measuring and Managing Your Financial Risks in Retirement
January 10, 2025
What’s the Present Value of Your Accumulated Savings?
January 5, 2025
Why It’s Important to Monitor Your Funded Status from Year to Year
2024
December 31, 2024
It’s Time, Once Again, to Measure Your Funded Status
December 25, 2024
Better Planning Starts with Granular Budgeting, Part II
December 22, 2024
How Long Do You and Your Spouse Plan to Live?
November 25, 2024
The Actuarial Approach--Better Than The 4% Rule, Simpler Than Monte Carlo Modeling and More Effective Than Either
November 19, 2024
Better Planning Starts with Granular Budgeting
November 17, 2024
How Bad is Social Security’s Financial Condition?
October 24, 2024
Are You Financially Better Off Today Than You Were on January 1, 2021?
October 14, 2024
Social Security Financing--When You’re in a Hole, Stop Digging
September 15, 2024
Don’t Undervalue Your Sources of Lifetime Income
September 9, 2024
Self-Insuring Your Long-Term Care (and Other Non-Recurring Expenses)
August 16, 2024
The Future Won’t Happen as Assumed
July 27, 2024
Actuaries Double Down on Questionable Primary Cause of Social Security’s Financial Deterioration
April 4, 2024
500th Post—We’re Retiring
April 2, 2024
What Percentage Drop in Your Assets Might Trigger a Reduction in Your Discretionary Spending?
March 27, 2024
Trying to Help Households Determine How Much They Can Afford to Spend in Retirement
March 23, 2024
Does Your Retirement Plan Have Spending Guardrails?
March 15, 2024
Financial System Sustainability Superstars
March 13, 2024
Simplify Your Retirement Planning
March 9, 2024
We’ve Updated the Actuarial Financial Planner Models
March 2, 2024
Simple Key to Retirement Planning Success
February 26, 2024
A Planning Process That Works
February 21, 2024
Want a More Realistic Retirement Plan?
February 19, 2024
Time to Reduce Your Investment Risk?
January 29, 2024
American Academy of Actuaries Reinserts Caveat Language into Their Social Security Challenge/Game
January 20, 2024
Actuaries Confuse the Primary Causes of the Social Security Funding Shortfall
January 5, 2024
It’s that Time Once Again for Retired Households to Perform Their Actuarial Valuations
2023
December 27, 2023
Fixed Dollar SPIAs vs. Fixed Rate Cola SPIAs
December 10, 2023
Is It a Good Time to Buy That Single Premium Immediate Life Annuity, Updated
December 8, 2023
Estimating Present Values of Long-Term Care Costs and Survivor Benefits Payable After the First Death Within a Couple
November 25, 2923
“Safe” Withdrawal Rate Brouhaha
November 16, 2023
We’ve Changed the Default Assumptions in the Actuarial Financial Planner Models
November 11, 2023
Confidently Boost Your Spending in Retirement with the Actuarial Approach
November 5, 2023
Bucketing by Expense Type with the Actuarial Approach
October 24, 2023
Plan on Future Adjustments to Your Retirement Plan Part II
September 28, 2023
Automatic Funded Status Adjustments for Social Security is a Great Idea
September 23, 2023
Actuaries Continue to Ignore the “Valuation Date Creep” Elephant in the Social Security Financing Room
September 17, 2023
Is It a Good Time to Buy That Single Premium Immediate Life Annuity?
September 2, 2023
Manage Your Financial Risks in Retirement Like an Actuary
August 23, 2023
Retirement Planning is Not an Event; It’s a Process
August 5, 2023
American Academy of Actuaries New Social Security Tool is Also Deficient in Alerting the Public to Potential Cash Flow Issues
July 29, 2023
Why Did the American Academy of Actuaries Remove Important Caveats from its Social Security Reform Menu Tool?
July 18, 2023
Critical Planning Lesson Learned from Social Security
July 15, 2023
Life Expectancy vs. Lifetime Planning Period
June 11, 2023
Systematic Comparison of Assets and Liabilities, Part 2
June 3, 2023
Wade Pfau Touts Use of Basic Actuarial and Financial Principles for Retirement Planning
May 31, 2023
Ken Steiner Interviewed on Money Mountaineering Podcast
May 21, 2023
Unfortunately, Congress Did Not Adopt a Better Financing Approach for Social Security in 1983
May 6, 2023
Don’t Forget Your Taxes
May 3, 2023
Would You Trade Your Pension for What is Behind Door #2?
April 16, 2023
Plan on Future Adjustments to Your Retirement Plan
April 11, 2023
Systematic Comparison of Assets and Liabilities—It’s How We Actuaries Roll
April 1, 2023
What is Social Security’s Funded Status?
March 25, 2023
What’s Your Funded Status?
March 12, 2023
Focus on Your Spending Budget and Your Funded Status, Not on Withdrawals from Your Accumulated Savings
March 5, 2023
Why is the Actuarial Profession Reluctant to Advance Actuarial Solutions to the Decumulation Problem?
February 26, 2023
Using the AFP to Develop a More Aggressive Financial Plan in Retirement
February 22, 2023
Improving Retirement Planning by Employing Basic Actuarial and Financial Economic Principles
January 22, 2023
Check These Five Boxes to See if You Are Financially Ready to Retire
January 15, 2023
Ongoing vs. One-Time Financial Planning in Retirement
January 10, 2023
Managing Risks in Retirement
January 9, 2023
Updated Implied Discount Rates for Single Premium Life Annuities as of January, 9, 2023
January 7, 2023
Automatic Funded Status Adjustments to Your Spending Budget
January 1, 2023
Retirees, it’s Time to Update Your Financial Plan
2022
December 25, 2022
Here We Go Again with the 4% Rule and “Safe” Withdrawal Rates
November 25, 2022
Updated Implied Discount Rates for Single Premium Life Annuities as of November 25, 2022
November 22, 2022
Managing Upcoming Holiday Expenses
October 27, 2022
Finding Financial Peace of Mind in Retirement—5 Easy Steps
October 16, 2022
The Most Important Retirement Planning Decision for Baby Boomers
October 7, 2022
Hey Retirees and Near Retirees: How is Your Current Retirement Plan Planning Process Working Out for You These Days?
September 24, 2022
Society of Actuaries/Financial Finesse Present a Dynamic Retirement Planning Calculator
September 19, 2022
We Call BS Again on Investment Allocation Rules of Thumb for Retirees
September 2, 2022
The Two Basic Equations Underlying the Actuarial Financial Planner
August 29, 2022
Yes, the AFP Even Does LDI
August 13, 2022
How Should Purchasing an Annuity Affect Your Retirement Portfolio Investment Mix?
August 10, 2022
The Retirement Researcher Constructs a Household Balance Sheet Using Basic Actuarial and Economic Principles
July 27, 2022
Updated Implied Discount Rates for Single Premium Life Annuities as of July 25, 2022
July 26, 2022
Couples Planning in Retirement—How Much Will Household Expenses Decrease After the First Death?
July 21, 2022
Financial Planning in (or Near) Retirement Made Super Easy
June 30, 2022
Do You Want Your Spending Budget in Retirement to be More (or Less) Conservative?
June 27, 2022
We’ve Changed the Default Economic Assumptions in the Actuarial Financial Planners
June 11, 2022
Retirement Researchers Discuss Retirement Planning Approaches
June 9, 2022
Planning on Social Security, Part II
June 6, 2022
Is Rebalancing a Good Strategy for Retirees?
May 24, 2022
Planning Your Discretionary Spending
May 21, 2022
The Household (Actuarial) Balance Sheet—the Foundational Retirement Planning Principle
May 18, 2022
Updated Implied Discount Rates for Single Premium Life Annuities
May 9, 2022
Is it Too Early to Start Thinking About Reducing Your Discretionary Spending?
May 5, 2022
Lump Sum Option vs. Life Annuity from a Pension Plan
May 3, 2022
Calm Your Financial Fears with the Actuarial Financial Planner (AFP)
April 16, 2022
Planning For Non-Recurring Expenses in Retirement
April 2, 2022
Discount Rate Assumptions Used to Price Life Annuities
March 27, 2022
Thinking About Retiring Early?
March 20, 2022
Planning on Temporary Higher Levels of Inflation
March 4, 2022
Will Kitces.com Guarantee the 4% Rule?
February 9, 2022
Reflecting Non-Financial Assets in Your Asset Allocation Strategy
January 30, 2022
Stress-Testing Your Retirement Plan for Rising Interest Rates/Inflation, Part II
January 18, 2022
Hey Retirees; What Percentage of Your Retirement Assets Should be Invested in Stocks?
January 6, 2022
What Will Retirees (and their Financial Advisors) Do Now That The 4% Rule is Dead?
January 1, 2022
It’s Time to Perform Your January 1, 2022 Actuarial Valuation
2021
December 26, 2021
Are Guaranteed Lifetime Income Products Part of Your Investment Strategy in Retirement?
December 15, 2021
How Much Did You Spend in 2021?
December 11, 2021
How Will Your Spending Change During Your Retirement?
November 28, 2021
There’s a Much Simpler and More Robust Financial Planning Tool for Retirees Than a “Risk-Based Guardrails Model”
November 27, 2021
Growing, Protecting and Spending Your Assets in Retirement—Finding the Right Balance with The Actuarial Financial Planner
November 17, 2021
Using the Actuaries Longevity Illustrator in Your Retirement Planning
November 13, 2021
Using the Actuarial Financial Planner for Retirees
November 5, 2021
Our Favorite One-Tab Actuarial Financial Planner for Retirees and Near Retirees
October 14, 2021
Planning on Social Security
September 27, 2021
Don’t Know How Long You’ll Live in Retirement? Another Good Reason to Build a Robust Floor Portfolio to Fund Your Essential Expenses
September 14, 2021
How Long Should You Plan to Live?
September 4, 2021
“Immunize Then Optimize”—Different Names but Same Planning Concept as Funding Your Floor Portfolio First Then Your Upside Portfolio Second
August 28, 2021
Preview of Upcoming SECURE Act Lifetime Income SLA Disclosures
August 23, 2021
Focus on Retirement Spending, Not Retirement Income, Part II
August 22, 2021
What Services Do You Want (or Need) From Your Financial Advisor?
July 23, 2021
How Should the Increased Mortality Associated with Covid-19 Affect Your Retirement Plan?
July 13, 2021
We’ve Added an Actuarial Balance Sheet Tab to our Retiree Workbooks
July 5, 2021
Worry Less and Spend More in Retirement
July 2, 2021
Selecting a Financial Advocate You Can Trust
June 30, 2021
Retirement Planning Using Basic Actuarial Principles—Keeping it Relatively Simple
June 23, 2021
Looking to Calm Those Retirement Spending Fears—Part 2
June 19, 2021
Achieving Your Financial Goals in Retirement
June 9, 2021
Using an Actuarial Balance Sheet to Develop a Better Retirement Plan
June 4, 2021
How to Modify Your “Retirement Paycheck” to Make it Work Better as a Spending Budget tool in Retirement
May 27, 2021
How Much is Good Retirement Spending Advice Worth?
April 28, 2021
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
April 11, 2021
Keeping It Simple
April 5, 2021
Aligning Your Strategic Plan in Retirement with Your Spending Goals, Tolerance for Risk and Other Preferences
March 23, 2021
Words Matter
March 19, 2021
What is Your Plan for Future Spending in Retirement?
March 16, 2021
Stress Testing Your Retirement Plan for Rising Interest Rates / Inflation
March 11, 2021
Life Annuities Can Be Worth More Than What You Pay for Them
March 7, 2021
Yes, “Probability-of-Success-Driven Guardrails” is a Good First Step
February 14, 2021
Borrowing and Investing Proceeds in a Low-Interest Rate Environment
February 2, 2021
Building Your Floor Portfolio
January 29, 2021
How Effective is Your Financial Advisor’s Monte Carlo Analysis as a Retirement Planning Tool?
January 10, 2021
How Conservative is Your Financial Advisor’s Calculated Spending Budget?
January 1, 2021
Time to Perform Your January 1, 2021 Actuarial Valuation
2020
December 6, 2020
How Should Future Social Security “Reform” Affect Your 2021 Spending Budget?
December 3, 2020
Why the Actuarial Approach Blows the Sox off Strategic Withdrawal Plans, Part II
December 1, 2020
Why the Actuarial Approach Blows the Sox off Strategic Withdrawal Plans (SWPs)
November 25, 2020
We’ve Updated Our Two Actuarial Budget Calculators for Retirees
November 21, 2020
Managing Your Finances in Retirement
November 18, 2020
Actuaries Submit Comments on LISE Calculation and Disclosure Rules
November 4, 2020
Free Planning Data from the CBO
October 28, 2020
Adjust the 4% Rule Enough and You Might End Up with Something as Good as the Actuarial Approach—Part 3
October 18, 2020
Determining Your Asset Mix in Retirement
October 6, 2020
Should I Buy It?
September 24, 2020
Are You Over-Estimating Your Future Retirement Spending Needs, Part II?
September 5, 2020
How Conservative Are Your Planning Assumptions About the Future Part II
September 1, 2020
DOL Issues Disappointing LISE Guidance
August 24, 2020
Options for Spending 2020's Forfeited Trip
August 16, 2020
We’ve Changed the Default Assumptions for the Actuarial Budget Calculators
August 10, 2020
Can You Afford to Retire?
August 2, 2020
Actuaries Discuss Retirement Budgeting Approaches
July 23, 2020
How to Fix Advisor Retirement Planning Models
July 21, 2020
Be Empowered to Own Your Own Retirement
June 23, 2020
Quantifying Spending Needs Versus Spending Wants – Example
June 14, 2020
Focus on Retirement Spending, Not Retirement Income
June 4, 2020
Comparison of Retirement Spending Budget Calculation Approaches
June 2, 2020
Actuaries Release New Essay Collections of Effective Retirement Planning Ideas
May 29, 2020
Lifetime Income Stream Equivalent Disclosure under the SECURE Act
May 23, 2020
Changes Suggested by Actuaries Unlikely to Ensure Sustainable Solvency For Social Security
May 19, 2020
How Conservative Are Your Planning Assumptions About the Future?
April 23, 2020
A Simpler Alternative to Our Recommended Financial Planning Process?
April 18, 2020
Yes, Retirees and Near Retirees Can, and Should, Plan for Stock Market Crashes
April 15, 2020
Retirees -- Should You Defer Commencement of Your Social Security Benefits?
April 11, 2020
Discount Rate / Investment Return Assumption for Actuarial Budget Calculators
April 7, 2020
Social Security: Bad Luck for Those Born in 1960?
April 5, 2020
Funding Essential Expenses in Retirement
March 28, 2020
Is Your 94% Monte Carlo “Safe” Retirement Plan Still Safe?
March 22, 2020
Good Time to Up Your Financial Knowledge Game
March 17, 2020
Ok Retirees, What is Your Plan Now that Stocks Have Entered a Bear Market?
March 13, 2020
Your Retirement Plan Should Incorporate Reasonable Goals, Assumptions and Processes
March 9, 2020
What is the Cost of Real Dollar Lifetime Retirement Income?
March 8, 2020
Updated Glossary
March 6, 2020
Recommended Financial Planning Process for Retirees and Near-Term Retirees Example #2--Pensions are Nice
March 1, 2020
How Much Can I Afford to Spend in Retirement Turns Ten
February 17, 2020
The
SECURE Act – So, What is a “Lifetime Income Stream Equivalent” of Your
401(k) Account Balance? How Will It be Calculated? And Why Should You
Care?
January 31, 2020
How to Develop and Implement a Strategic Plan for Your Retirement
January 17, 2020
How Do Expected End-of-Life Expenses Affect Your Current Recurring Expense Spending Budget?
January 7, 2020
“Big ERN” Discovers the Basic Actuarial Balance Equation
