The 4% Rule: Why It Might Be Costing You Years of Freedom

Most retirement calculators are built on a 40-year-old rule that could be costing you a decade of your freedom. After 25 years as a fiduciary financial advisor, I've seen this firsthand — and the math tells a very different story.

In this video, I break down why you may need 50% less to retire than you've been told — and exactly how to calculate your real number using a 2-phase approach. I also answer the question nobody else is answering in this conversation: what do you do about health insurance before Medicare kicks in?

What you'll learn: → Why the 4% rule overstates how much most people need — by hundreds of thousands of dollars → The 2-Phase Retirement Method (Bridge + Core) and how to calculate each → How ACA marketplace subsidies can dramatically cut healthcare costs in early retirement → Why the bridge years are a golden window for Roth conversions — and how to use them → What to do if you're already "on track" — you may be able to retire years earlier than planned

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Retirement Number Myth

01:08 Why the 4% Rule Fails

02:07 Two-Phase Retirement Plan

02:58 Bridge Phase Breakdown

03:32 Health Insurance Before Medicare

04:53 Core Phase With Social Security

05:47 Putting the Numbers Together

06:09 You May Be Ahead

07:00 Health Benefits of Retiring Earlier

07:33 Three-Step Action Plan

08:15 Work With Me and Resources

08:47 Final Thoughts and Subscribe

SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY ZOOM: https://calendly.com/brian-d-muller/zoom-discovery-call

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Pick up a copy of my book "Momentous Decisions: 7 Steps to Better Health, More Wealth, and a Richer Life" at: https://www.momentouswealthadvisors.com/book