Scenario library

Retirement scenario examples

Last updated: May 2026

These examples are educational. They are not guarantees or personal recommendations. Use them to compare assumptions and identify where your plan needs more margin.

Early retirement

Timing choices before Medicare and Social Security

Scenario

Retire at 55 with $1,000,000

Compares a short bridge to Social Security and healthcare-heavy years against long retirement duration and sequence risk.

Scenario

Work three more years

Shows the impact of adding three income years to contributions, compounding, and success probability.

Scenario

Retire at 60 with $750,000

Examines shorter bridge years against a smaller portfolio and stricter withdrawal discipline.

Spending and FIRE number

Spend-based targets and withdrawal setting

Scenario

Retire on $60,000 per year

Backs into FIRE from desired spending while highlighting taxes, inflation, and withdrawal assumptions.

Scenario

Lower withdrawal rate FIRE comparison

Compares 3.0%, 3.5%, and 4.0% with the same spending assumptions.

Inflation and market risk

Stress and sequence sensitivity

Scenario

What if inflation averages 4%

Quantifies how higher inflation changes portfolio pressure and spending sustainability.

Scenario

Market drop right after retirement

Explains why retirement drawdowns can be more important than average return assumptions.

Social Security and timing

Claiming context and bridge strategy

Scenario

Social Security timing effect

Shows how claiming age changes bridge-year requirements, success probability, and timeline interpretation.

Scenario

Stop contributing five years early

Examines contribution interruption effects before retirement and what that does to bridge assumptions.

Safety buffers

Liquidity and spending resilience

Scenario

Cash buffer before retirement

Quantifies buffer depth in terms of sequence risk, flexibility, and the ability to avoid hard spending cuts.

Safety buffers

Cash buffer in practice

Use the healthcare and drawdown implications from this page as the buffer context for bridge years.

Retirement scenario examples

Featured scenario entry points

Featured: Retire at 55 with $1,000,000 Featured: Retire on $60,000 per year Featured: 4% inflation stress case Featured: Work three more years

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Each scenario includes one H1, clear inputs, result interpretation, and links to methodology, disclaimer, and correction path.