Overview
- A Kiplinger adviser details seven core threats to retirement security—longevity, market swings, sequence risk, tax and RMD exposure, interest-rate shifts, inflation, long-term care—with strategies such as diversification, guaranteed income and Roth conversions.
- A companion THRIVE framework urges focus on taxes, health care, risk, income design, vitality, plus estate and legacy, including asset location, qualified charitable distributions, Medicare reviews, bucket strategies and blended income sources.
- Long-term care remains a high‑probability expense, with about a 70% likelihood of needing care and a projected 2026 nursing‑home cost of $9,842 per month, while Fidelity pegs average lifetime retiree health spending at about $172,500.
- For those planning withdrawals in 2026, Yahoo Finance advises mapping monthly spending, tallying all income streams such as Social Security or part‑time work, then setting a withdrawal rate that fits the portfolio’s mix.
- Advisers highlight timing and tax decisions—RMDs starting at age 73 for most, 75 for those born in 1960 or later—with Roth conversions and income annuities presented as tools to manage future tax drag and longevity or sequence risk.