Retirement Spending Phases: EDU #2617

Retirement Spending Phases: EDU #2617

From The Retirement and IRA Show by Jim Saulnier, CFP® & Chris Stein, CFP®

April 29, 2026 · 1h 44m

About this episode

The episode discusses Retirement Spending Phases and how different types of spending relate to Social Security, pensions, and annuities.

Chris’s Summary Jim and I continue our discussion of the New York Times article titled “You Saved and Saved for Retirement. Now You Need a Plan to Cash Out,” focusing on Retirement Spending Phases as the article moves into go-go, slow-go, and no-go years. We walk through how the article is using that framework and how it compares with how we approach retirement planning, particularly in how different types of spending behave and how that ties to Social Security, pensions, and simple annuities. Jim’s “Pithy” Summary Chris and I pick back up with the New York Times article from last week and this time we focus on Retirement Spending Phases and how that go-go, slow-go, no-go framework is being used. I’m not saying the concept is wrong. I’m saying if you apply it across everything, you’re going to miss the point. Because not all expenses behave the same way. Your Minimum Dignity Floor is there no matter what. Your Fun Number is what actually changes depending on how you’re living your life. If you don’t separate those, you can end up making decisions that don’t reflect reality. That’s really the issue we keep coming back to as we walk through this and react to how…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jim Saulnier, Chris Stein

Topics covered

  • Retirement Spending Phases
  • Social Security
  • Pensions
  • Annuities
  • Financial Planning

Keywords

  • Retirement
  • Spending Phases
  • Financial Planning
  • Social Security
  • Pensions
  • Annuities
  • New York Times

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times

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