Will my money run out in retirement?
Answered by Cheryl Heikka
Financial Strategist · Your One Agency
This is the most common retirement fear, and it comes down to one distinction: how much of your essential spending is covered by income that's guaranteed for life (Social Security, a pension, guaranteed-income products) versus income that depends on markets and withdrawal rates. Retirement can last 25 to 30 years, and rules of thumb like a 4% withdrawal rate are probabilities, not promises - a bad market stretch early in retirement can permanently damage a portfolio you're drawing from. The most durable plans cover essential expenses with guaranteed sources so the market money only has to fund the extras. If your essentials are covered for life, you mathematically cannot run out of money for the things that matter.
The gap most people miss
Most people know their savings number but have no idea what portion of their essential expenses is guaranteed for life - which is the number that actually answers this question.
A short "will my money last" check maps your essential expenses against your guaranteed income and shows the gap, if there is one.