<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - Bear market hits Wall Street as stocks dive"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Given the tumultuous start to the year for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/indexes/sp-500/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=092085f5-ca63-42d2-b5af-5b98fc1d9a08" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a"><strong>S&P 500</strong></a>, it's no wonder retirees and pre-retirees are nervous about the prospect of entering a prolonged <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/bear-market/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=092085f5-ca63-42d2-b5af-5b98fc1d9a08" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">bear market</a>. Combine poor stock performance with a low-yielding bond environment and the possibility that Social Security reserves may deplete, and there is fair reason to be concerned. However, as we'll explore below, there are several ways to make retirement withdrawals even more sustainable – and to ensure you're covered in a variety of future circumstances.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/strategies/withdrawal/4-percent-rule/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=092085f5-ca63-42d2-b5af-5b98fc1d9a08" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">The 4% rule</a> as it relates to your personal savings is meant to act as a general rule of thumb. Taking your retirement savings as a whole, you can withdraw 4% annually (adjusted for inflation) and face only a minimal probability of running out of money over the course of a 30-year retirement. </p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>Is it too late to prevent a recession?</strong> <a target="_blank" href="/story/money/2022/06/24/recession-odds-rise-fear-big-fast-fed-rate-hikes/7708085001/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">Here's what experts say</a></p><h2 class="gnt_ar_b_h2">Does the 4% rule need an update?</h2><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The 4% rule has also come under fire as of late, as the concept was developed when bonds were yielding far more than they do today, and during a time when the 60% stock/40% bond portfolio was seen as the norm for aspiring retirees.</p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">This has led financial planning experts to question whether the 4% rule would hold up in today's low-interest, high-inflation, and low-expected-return stock market environment.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong>Retirement:</strong> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2022/05/20/retirement-4-percent-spending-rule-no-longer-works/50251755/#:~:text=4%25%20rule%20about%20how%20much,no%20longer%20works%2C%20creator%20says&text=So%20if%20you%20have%20%241,take%20out%20%2440%2C800%20that%20year." rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">4% spending rule no longer works thanks to inflation</a></p><h2 class="gnt_ar_b_h2">Options available to current or aspiring retirees</h2><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Someone who wants to retire in the coming years might try any of...</p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2022/06/27/retirees-how-to-make-the-4-rule-last-in-retirement/50412299/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>