The Year You Retire Matters More Than You Realize!

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Mar 13, 2025 | Blog, Retirement Planning

The year you retire can make or break your retirement plan. Will you retire at a good time or a bad time? You cannot really know if you have bad timing until after the fact. If you retire at a bad time, right before a recession and crash in the stock market, you won’t...

I am 60 with $2 Million Dollars. What Does my Retirement Income Look Like?

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Feb 12, 2025 | Blog, Retirement Planning

Over the last 25 years one of the most common questions I have received from clients is, “how much can I spend and not run out of money?” In my experience, many investors don’t know what a sustainable spending strategy looks like. Today’s article will be focused on...

Is $2 Million Enough to Retire?

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Jan 12, 2025 | Blog, Retirement Planning

Today I’m going to show you a simple way to quickly determine if $2 million is enough for your retirement. I’ve been a financial advisor for over 25 years and I have built hundreds of retirement plans. What I am about to show you is based upon that...

How Long Does $1 Million Last in Retirement?

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Jun 5, 2024 | Blog, Retirement Planning

The number of years a $1 million dollar portfolio will last a person in retirement will depend on the following four factors: Asset Allocation Spending Rate Percentage Investment Selection & Performance Behavior ASSET ALLOCATION Asset allocation is a critical...

4% Rule – Three Important Questions Before You Use It

by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | May 29, 2024 | Blog, Retirement Planning

The inflation adjusted 4% rule is a common retirement spending strategy.  To follow the rule, you spend 4% of your portfolio in your first year of retirement and then increase your spending every year thereafter by 3% to account for inflation.  To see if...