Deferred compensation plans are becoming more popular for higher-income earners. These types of plan are non-qualified tax-deferred plans, which means that they are allowed to grow tax-free before the money is withdrawn. When the money is withdrawn, it is taxed at the owner’s income tax rate.

Their story will be familiar to readers who have seen articles about FIRE. Young-ish people decide they want out of the "rat race," and take their journey public via a blog. They generously publish a lot of details about their financial life and their progress, along with pictures of what they're eating, travelogues, and workout routines.

Since bond yields fell by more than half during the 2008/2009 financial meltdown and recession, many people in retirement sold their bond holdings and bought stocks with relatively high dividend yields, hoping to make up for the lost bond interest. But as a lot of investors have found out, dividends are not the same as bond interest, especially if we’re talking about treasury bonds.

Volatility is back and it can really change your retirement situation. You've probably heard of Monte Carlo simulations. Some people don't like Monte Carlo because it mostly relies on the past just as so many other tools we use to forecast the future. We understand that concern, but we still like it as one of the tools in the toolbox.

For those in retirement or very close to it, a 15% decline in the stock market over just a few short months can be gut-wrenching. This is of course why so many of us in the personal finance industry beat the drum of diversification so often. But what about people who have 20 to 30 years until they will need the funds from their retirement accounts? Should they really worry too much about month to month and even year to year gyrations in the stock market?