Last month, we introduced the three-legged stool of retirement readiness: savings, income, and spending. Together, those three legs support the retirement you’ve been working toward. This month we want to talk about what can shake that stool — and what you can do to make sure it remains standing. 

Here is something nobody really prepares you for: retirement requires a fundamental shift in how you think about money. For most of your life the goal was straightforward — earn, save, grow. You were building. Then one day the game changes; now you are supposed to take from what you’ve built and make it last as long as you do – all while navigating a whole new set of variables. It sounds simple- and for some people it is.  For many of us there can be a lot more complexity, like taxes, healthcare, debt reduction, social security timing, etc. 

That shift — from accumulating to drawing down — is one of the biggest financial transitions most people will ever make. And it’s not just about the math. It changes how you perceive market swings, how you make spending decisions, and even how you think about risk. The strategies that got you here don’t automatically carry you through what comes next. A fresh framework helps. 

The good news: while some of what retirement throws at you is genuinely outside your control, setting yourself up to weather these storms is well within your control. Understanding what countermeasures are available to you is the foundation of building a retirement plan that’s truly resilient. 

The Forces Outside Your Control 

There are forces in retirement that no amount of planning can fully neutralize. Markets go up and down — and sometimes at the worst possible moments; inflation quietly chips away at purchasing power year after year; tax laws change; healthcare costs climb; geopolitical events create ripple effects nobody predicted. These are the realities of retirement life, and no plan eliminates them entirely. 

One important risk to understand is what planners call ‘sequence of returns’ risk. The short version: a significant decline in the markets early in retirement, when you are actively pulling money out to live on, hits harder than the same market drop later in retirement. You can’t control when markets wobble, but you can build a plan that doesn’t require you to sell everything during a downturn so you can pay the bills. That’s the whole point of having a strategy. 

Longevity can be both a blessing and a curse. People are spending 25 to 30 years in retirement now — sometimes more. That’s not a problem, but it does require planning. A longer retirement just means more undesired variables have more time to show up.  

We name these variables not to alarm you — most are manageable — but because you can’t plan around what you haven’t acknowledged. 

More Is in Your Hands Than You Think 

Now for the good news… the decisions you make — before and during retirement — have a real, lasting impact on your plan’s resilience. This is where your energy is best spent. 

For instance, Social Security timing – Most people don’t think of this as a financial strategy, but it might be the single most consequential decision a retiree makes. Waiting a few extra years to claim benefits can meaningfully increase your monthly income for the rest of your life — and for a surviving spouse. 

Spending flexibility is another important consideration. The ability to dial back discretionary spending during a rough patch — even modestly, even temporarily — can significantly extend how long a portfolio lasts. Having debt at the start of retirement limits that flexibility, which is why addressing it before you retire matters more than people realize. 

How your portfolio is structured in retirement also matters. The strategy that built your wealth may not be the right strategy for protecting and distributing it. In retirement, managing downside risk often matters more than chasing growth — and the mix of guaranteed income sources versus market-based assets is worth revisiting periodically. 

Healthcare is a category of its own, not just a line item in a budget. The costs tend to grow over time, and they are hard to predict with precision. Having a deliberate approach — with insurance and a dedicated savings strategy – is part of a resilient plan.  

There are legal documents that protect your wishes and finances if your ability to make decisions is ever compromised. A durable power of attorney, healthcare directive, and current beneficiary designations are among the most important (and often overlooked) items on any retirement checklist. Our January (When Should I Review my Estate Plan), February (Beneficiary Designations), and March (Differences between Powers of Attorney and Living Wills) Ask Tammy videos provide more information on the importance of estate planning. 

One more variable worth mentioning: cognitive decline and elder fraud are financial risks, not just health ones. Financial vulnerability increases with age, and the targeting of older adults by fraudsters is far more common than people expect. Simple steps — naming a trusted contact on your accounts, streamlining your financial picture, and having open conversations with family about your wishes — can make a meaningful difference. 

Resilience Is the Goal 

Retirement resilience isn’t about having a perfect plan. It’s about having a plan that can absorb what you don’t see coming — one that bends without breaking when life doesn’t go exactly as expected. The people who navigate retirement most successfully aren’t the ones who avoided every risk. They’re the ones who thought ahead, stayed flexible, and had the right pieces in place before they needed them. 

This month’s video takes a closer look at each of these risks — what they are, why they matter in retirement, and the strategies that address them directly. It is a complement to what we’ve covered here. If a conversation about your own retirement resilience plan sounds useful, we’d love to hear from you. 

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Disclosure: Copyright (C) 2026 Mosaic FI, LLC. All rights reserved.    

Mosaic FI, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser, registered with the SEC and in other states where required, unless otherwise exempt. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.  Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies.  Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.  Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. 

The opinions expressed herein are those of the firm and are subject to change without notice. The opinions referenced are as of the date of publication and are subject to change due to changes in the market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Any opinions, projections, or forward-looking statements expressed herein are solely those of Jenifer Aronson, Tammy Wener, and Leslie Meisner, may differ from the views or opinions expressed by other areas of the firm, and are only for general informational purposes as of June 3, 2026, and does not contain untrue statements of material facts, or misleading information for the following third-party disclosure. 

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