The financial planning textbook says you should never hold a big single-stock position. No Matter What? Really?

We disagree - some lives and balance sheets are not average.

Unless you have enough money to live off just the interest of your portfolio, you will need to choose between a systematic withdrawal plan and utilizing retirement buckets to provide your retirement income.

Here is why I prefer the retirement buckets strategy:

We all know investing includes ups and downs. Mostly up… but not always. It’s a natural part of investing. But lately, with the recent run in stocks and concerns rising about a pullback, I have been having more conversations about how to plan for a pullback.

To me, the best approach to volatility is to be bipolar: Fiercely protective over any money you will need in the next couple of years and aggressive with investments that you do not need to draw from for some time.