09/06/2026
The years right before and right after retirement can be some of the most important years in your financial life.
That window is often called the Retirement Red Zone — the five years before and five years after you retire. A major market loss during this period can be harder to recover from because you may be getting ready to live off that money, not just leave it invested for decades.
The goal is not to avoid risk forever. It is to understand when risk matters most and build a plan that helps protect the income you are counting on.
Certainty, not probability.