We Have a $3 Million Portfolio. How Much Can We Spend?

What if the biggest risk to your retirement isn't running out of money, but spending too little? When you've accumulated $3 million through decades of hard work and discipline, the fear shifts from "Can we afford to retire?" to "How much can we spend without getting this wrong?"

Brett covers:

• Why identical portfolios can lead to completely different retirement outcomes
• How to calculate your true baseline spending (hint: it's more than you think)
• The role Social Security plays in reducing portfolio pressure
• Sequence of returns risk: why timing matters more than discipline
• The hidden dangers of both lifestyle inflation and accidental underspending
• Why flexibility beats precision in retirement planning
• How to build a resilient plan that adapts without panic

Find out why the most successful retirements aren't built on rigid withdrawal rates but on intentional decisions that align your money with your values. Your portfolio is a tool (not a limiter) for the life you want to live.

#RetirementPlanning #FinancialPlanning #CRNA #PortfolioManagement 

Key Timestamps: 

(0:38) Welcome to Money RX for CRNAs

(2:23) Case Study: David and Anne’s $3M Portfolio

(3:38) Determining True Baseline Lifestyle Spending

(5:03) How Social Security Reduces Portfolio Pressure

(5:37) Reframing Retirement as an Annual Cashflow Problem

(7:27) Introducing Susan: Sequence of Returns Risk

(10:03) Karen’s Story: The Risk of Structural Lifestyle Inflation

(12:02) Tom’s Story: The Cost of Accidental Underspending

(14:22) Kevin and Laura: Building a Resilient vs. Precise Plan

(15:58) Retirement as a System of Behavior and Alignment

(20:13) Conclusion: $3 Million is a Tool for Choice, Not a Limit

For more information and resources related to this episode, please visit the show notes.