The “Might Happen” Mindset: Hope for the Best

A lot of traditional retirement advice assumes strong investment returns.

“You might average 8–10% a year over the next few decades…”

“You might be fine as long as you stay the course…”

“You might not need guaranteed income if your portfolio performs well.”

But here’s the problem: Retirement isn’t built on averages.

It’s built on the sequences of market returns, which is unpredictable.

That’s what really matters once you start taking income from your portfolio.

Yes — you might get a stretch of double-digit returns leading into retirement.

But you might not.

And if the early years of retirement are met with market losses or higher-than-expected spending, it could throw your entire plan off course.

That’s why I prefer a more grounded, reliable approach.

The “Will Happen” Mindset: Start With Certainty

Instead of building your retirement around the market, start by asking:

👉 What do I want to make sure WILL happen — no matter what?

For most people, the answer is clear:

“I want to know I’ll have enough income to cover the life I’ve worked so hard to enjoy.”

Maybe that means $5,000/month.

Maybe it’s $20,000/month.

The number doesn’t matter as much as the certainty behind it.

This is what I call your “Will Do” Bucket — income sources you can count on.

That might include:

• Social Security
• A pension
• A personal income annuity
• Rental income or other fixed sources

The point is, this portion of your plan isn’t left up to market conditions or economic forecasts.

You know what it’s going to do — because it’s guaranteed to do it.

Why Certainty Creates Confidence (and Opportunity)

Here’s the paradox:

By starting with guaranteed income, you’re not limiting yourself — you’re unlocking more freedom.

Because once your essential lifestyle is protected, you can afford to be more patient, more long-term focused, and potentially even more aggressive with the rest of your portfolio.

This often leads to:

• Better behavior during market downturns (no panic selling)
• More ability to stay invested
• Higher long-term returns
• Less pressure on your nest egg

And ultimately — more money for your legacy.

Predictability Is Power

Focusing first on what WILL happen in retirement isn’t about being conservative — it’s about being strategic.

It means:
 ✅ Creating a base of income you can never outlive
 ✅ Reducing the stress of day-to-day market fluctuations
 ✅ Giving your growth portfolio room to do what it does best
 ✅ And preserving more wealth for the people and causes you care about

You still have room to grow wealth.

You still have flexibility.

But now you have a foundation that lets you sleep well at night.

Final Thoughts

Retirement isn’t about guessing the future.

It’s about building a plan that works no matter what the future holds.

So before you bet everything on what might happen, ask yourself this:

👉 What do I want to make sure WILL happen?

If you can answer that clearly — and build a plan around it — you’re already ahead of the game.

And if you’re ready to explore what your “Will Do” Bucket could look like, let’s chat.