Workers are feeling pretty confident about their nest eggs, according to the latest survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Roughly two-thirds of workers in the 2026 survey said they were at least somewhat confident that their funds would last through their retirement years. That’s down from the 2025 result, but still a pretty good number.

But the same forces that have fueled retirement confidence have the potential to work against new retirees in the years ahead. A 2012 study conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri found that workers often retire when the market is cresting. Somewhat counterintuitively, that has the effect of reducing a portfolio’s durability, unless the new retiree steers most of their assets out of the market and into an annuity.

Because you don’t know what market conditions will prevail during the all-important early years of retirement, it’s wise to build a plan that can be resilient if bad returns materialize early on. I shared some strategies along those lines in this article.

Retirement researcher Bill Bengen weighed in on some of those same issues in the latest episode of The Long View podcast. He offered some candid thoughts about the shortcomings of the 4% rule and why he thinks retirees can spend more, the reason he no longer considers himself a buy-and-hold investor, and the greatest risk factor for retirees. (Spoiler alert: It’s not bad market returns.)

The bond market has been experiencing some turbulence recently, an outgrowth of the fact that inflation has dimmed the prospect for interest rate cuts this year. But while higher yields can contribute to short-term bond-price dislocations, they set up fixed-income investors for better total returns going forward. Paul Olmsted expanded on that thesis and shared some favorite bond funds in this article.

Finally, one of my conclusions from our Diversification Landscape report was that perhaps I’ve been too negative on gold for all of these years. It offers one of the lowest correlations relative to stocks and bonds of any asset type, and it has been pretty resilient in inflationary and recessionary periods alike . I still don’t own any gold, but Amy Arnott’s piece about how to use gold in a portfolio will be the first place I’ll turn if I decide to take the plunge.

With warm regards,
Christine Benz

What If This Turns Out to Be a Terrible Time to Retire?

Preretirees and new retirees concerned about today’s markets can take steps to protect themselves.

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Bill Bengen: ‘Inflation Is the Greatest Enemy of Retirees’

The author and creator of ‘the 4% rule’ discusses the pros and cons of various withdrawal strategies and key risk factors facing retirees today.

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How You Can Take Advantage of Persistently Elevated Bond Yields

Consider these three bond funds that can enhance your portfolio’s income potential.

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How Portfolio Diversification Works in Inflationary Periods

Some asset classes tend to fare better than others when inflation is higher than average.

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How to Use Gold in Your Portfolio

Investing in gold has risks, but it can be a solid diversifier and a refuge in volatile or inflationary times.

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