What Do I Do If The Market Crashes When I'm About to Retire?

About to retire or recently retired and worried a market drop could derail your plan? In this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan?, Phillip Smith explains how to build a retirement strategy that still works when stocks fall. You’ll learn how sequence-of-returns risk hurts new retirees, why a 3–4 year cash reserve buys time, and how flexible “guardrails” withdrawals, smart rebalancing, and tax moves (loss harvesting, Roth conversions) protect your income plan. We also touch on Oregon PERS timing, Social Security, and IRMAA so your retirement planning is resilient in real life. What you’ll learn 00:00 If your plan only works when stocks rise, it’s not a plan 00:56 Roadmap and why this matters now 01:15 Two-months-to-retire panic scenario 02:08 What counts as a crash and sequence risk 02:40 Recent drawdowns and recovery timelines 04:29 Why sequence risk is brutal for new withdrawals 05:15 Framework to make your plan “punch-resistant” 06:19 Build a 3–4 year reserve from cash and short bonds 07:58 Guardrails spending: small trims and raises 08:43 Rebalance to buy stocks “on sale” 09:05 Tax plays in down markets: TLH and Roth conversions 09:29 Coordinating with PERS, Social Security, and IRMAA 10:14 Contingency dials when markets fall 11:32 Action steps you can do this weekAction stepDefine your reserve target, check allocation quality, and write simple guardrails before you need them. Connect with a financial advisor if you need guidance with any of these action steps.More resources: TidepoolWealth.com and our YouTube channel @TidepoolWealth.#RetirementPlanning #AboutToRetire #RecentlyRetired #MarketCrash #SequenceRisk #Guardrails #TaxPlanning #OregonPERS #OPSRP #MedicareIRMAAThanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF |  Financial PlannerTidepool Wealth Strategies450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401____________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Disclosures: The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.