Hi Jan,
Episode 250 of our Retire With Style podcast is out now!
In this week's episode of Retire With Style, Alex and I continue answering questions from our recent YouTube Live Q&A, including one that has sparked quite a bit of discussion: Do annuities actually improve retirement outcomes?
We often talk about the benefits of annuities for providing reliable lifetime income, but what happens when you put them to the test in a financial planning model? One listener found that adding an annuity actually lowered their probability of success in a Monte Carlo simulation. We explore why that might happen, how the assumptions behind these calculations can influence the results, and why annuities shouldn't necessarily be evaluated the same way as traditional investments.
We also discuss whether buffer assets fit within a Total Return strategy, why the commonly cited 80% retirement income replacement rule may not apply to everyone, and what today's elevated stock market valuations and bond yields could mean for sustainable retirement withdrawals.
Ultimately, retirement planning involves more than finding the strategy with the highest projected return or probability of success. It's about understanding what you're trying to accomplish and choosing an approach that supports those goals. Listen now to learn more!
| | | | The Retire With Style Podcast Has a New Home! | | | | We’re excited to share that all podcast episodes- past and present- are now available on our new site: RetireWithStyle.com. It’s your one-stop shop for catching up on episodes, watching video versions, and even submitting your own retirement questions for future shows.
You can also watch and subscribe to new video episodes on our YouTube channel, with fresh content every Wednesday.
Prefer to listen on your favorite podcast app? We’ve got you covered. You can still find Retire With Style on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeart, TuneIn, and now YouTube Music.
| | | | Take a look around the new site and let us know what you think. Feel free to share with friends, and to reply here with any comments.
Thank you,
Wade Pfau, PhD, CFA, RICP
Founder of Retirement Researcher
P.S. Not interested in hearing about the podcast? Click here to opt out of podcast-related content.
| | | | |
