Retirement Success Depends on When Your Clients Set Sail
Retirement isn’t just a destination—it’s a launch. And like any voyage, the timing of the tides matters more than most clients realize.
In planning terms, that tide is the market. And if your clients set sail during a downturn, their portfolio may never find its way back.
This isn’t a scare tactic — it’s Sequence of Returns Risk . A quiet force that can sink a well-built retirement plan if the timing is wrong.
“Retiring into a bear market means taking withdrawals from a shrinking portfolio. And that’s a math problem most clients don’t see coming—until it’s too late.”
The Tide Doesn’t Have to Crash to Pull You Under
You don’t need a market crash to disrupt a retirement. Even moderate early losses—combined with withdrawals—can do permanent damage.
Take this hypothetical example: Two identical investors. Same performance. Same average return. One ends up with $2.4 million at age 90. The other runs out of money by year 17.
The only difference? When the storm hit.
In this hypothetical example, the annual income withdrawals are 5% of first year value – adjusted thereafter for inflation, the starting values at age 65 for Portfolio A and B are $691,527.49, and the average annual return for Portfolio A and B is 8%.
When clients withdraw during down years, they lock in losses—shrinking their portfolio’s ability to recover. That’s what makes this risk so dangerous. It’s not about how much you earn. It’s about when you earn it.
This is what makes SoRR so dangerous in the retirement red zone—that 5-10 year window where even small missteps can permanently derail long-term outcomes.
You Can’t Predict the Market’s Tide, But You Can Prepare for It
Markets ebb and flow. But when your clients retire during a low tide—when the market is down—the impact can be permanent. Sequence of Returns Risk doesn’t ask if a downturn will happen. It asks when. And if that “when” is right after the first withdrawal, the damage compounds quickly.
That’s why timing matters more than averages.
You can’t control the tide. But you can choose the vessel.
You can chart a smarter course.
And you can make sure clients have a plan that’s built for unpredictability.
This is where true value shows up: not in predicting markets, but in preparing portfolios.
When you structure income sources to weather early declines, you’re not just preserving assets. You’re preserving retirements. You’re protecting confidence. You’re giving clients permission to enjoy their golden years without second-guessing every market headline.
That’s what clients remember. Not the product. Not the allocation. The feeling of being safe, even when the waters get rough.
Engineering Stability
Your clients fear running out of money more than death. Change that.
People want predictability. Annuities offer guaranteed income, downside protection, and a way to ride out downturns without touching principal.
In a market where losses hit harder early in retirement, predictability isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. That’s where annuities shine.
You’re not offering a product. You’re offering potential peace of mind.
A strategy that delivers income clients can’t outlive.
A plan that buys time during volatility, so portfolios can recover without panic.
It’s not about removing risk — it’s about repositioning it.
Preserve AUM Without Sacrificing Growth
When you shield income, you free up the rest of the portfolio to work smarter. That’s how you keep AUM intact and keep clients confident.
Use Sequence of Returns Risk to reframe the conversation:
- It’s not about fear — it’s about timing.
- It’s not about returns — it’s about the order of returns.
- It’s not about selling — it’s about structuring.
This isn’t just compliance-safe. It’s clarity-driven.
When clients understand the risk, they move with purpose.
And when you bring both protection and growth to the table, you don’t just retain clients — you elevate your value.
For more perspective on this pivotal window, revisit “A Fragile Decade: Are You Addressing the Sequence of Returns Risk with Your Clients?”
Want to Lead the Conversation & Protect the Journey?
“Sequence of Returns Risk: Timing is Everything”
Join our DMI University webinar:
🗓 Tuesday, January 21 | 🕛 Noon ET | 💻 Live 60-minute session
- A Case Study you can actually use
- A customizable PowerPoint deck + 15-minute sales tutorial
- Conversation starters + client profiles
- Positioning strategies that protect income and grow your business
Seats are limited. This is your chance to guide the conversation—and anchor your clients’ confidence.
Erick Lindewall
VP of Annuity Sales
Not your average wholesaler. Erick Lindewall brings 35 years of industry grit and insight to every conversation—and helps advisors do the same. He’s not here to push products. He’s here to engineer results.
Before joining DMI, Erick spent over 25 years as an External Variable Annuity Wholesaler—and cut his teeth as a financial advisor and sales manager before that. He’s worked across every major distribution channel. What does that mean for you? He knows what it’s like to be in your seat.
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