But that's essentially what the 4% rule is. A WR so low that SOR doesn't matter, again using the standard assumption.

Yup.

The freak-out about SORR is primarily when retiring on a shoestring.

The standard mitigation is to start off with an outsized cash(ish) allocation. Which causes a lower portfolio growth due to the undersized equity allocation.

The price of protection for retiring on a shoestring is high.


A friend told me that they were paying a Financial Advisor a bunch of bucks to look over their retirement accounts and tell them if they could afford to retire.

I told him that he could figure it out himself for free. Calculate 4% of the accounts and determine if that was enough for them to live on.

He wanted an expert opinion, so he paid several hundred to have the FA do the same calculation (under the sheets) and prepare a 30 page document saying so.