Why Your Retirement Isn't Prepared for Market Volatility -- And What to Do About It
- Doug Oosterhart, CFP®
- Apr 2
- 1 min read
The S&P 500 is down 8-9% from all-time highs. Geopolitical tensions, oil prices spiking, markets swinging 1.5-3% in a single day. If you're approaching or already in retirement, that knot in your stomach is real -- but here's what the data actually shows: this is completely normal market behavior. The S&P 500 averages about 65 days per year with moves greater than 1%. After historically calm years in 2024 and 2025, we've just forgotten what normal looks like.
In this video, I break down how to prepare for volatility on two fronts: the psychological side (how you actually feel when losses hit) and the mathematical side (what your plan says when you stress-test it). We cover the bucket strategy, sequence-of-returns risk, guardrail withdrawals, Monte Carlo simulations, and five concrete steps you can take right now.
If you're within 10 years of retirement or already there with $2M or more in investable assets, this is the framework that keeps our clients from making emotional decisions that cost them long-term.
