dory36

Dory, we're celebrating e-r.org's 7th anniversary. Just thought I'd drop you a thanks.

Can you help me figure out how the "40+% decline...in 2008" as shown on the FIRECalc first screen actually computes? I have run several FIRECalc models and the decline I generally compute for the 30-year period beginning 1979 and ending 2008, for the last year in the period (2008?) is 25+% decline. I get this by looking at the excel spreadsheets which is an option in the Investigate tab, of course.

Hi Dory

Nords suggested that I PM you about this:

In Firecalc 3, when you select the portfolio to never drop below a certain amount, is that amount inflation-adjusted so it always has the same purchasing power?

Also, I happened to have stock returns a bit more than double the Total Market Return in the first 4 - 5 years of my retirement. I'm "refirecalcing" my retirement now in light of the recent market downturn.

With such higher returns in the first 4-5 years, can I regard a withdrawal now having a 95% success rate as really being closer to a 100% success rate?

I know there's no such thing as 100% safe - I'm just using the calcuator as a guideline. Still, I'd like to know your opinion about this, as well as know the answer to my first question.

Thanks so much.
deepcity@nyc.rr.com