What Is Bucket Death?
Bucket death refers to the depletion of a retirement portfolio during a sustained market downturn, often soon after a retiree begins withdrawing funds. It describes a situation where a sequence of poor returns exhausts savings before the investor can recover.
How It Happens
When withdrawals continue while account values fall, the portfolio loses the capital needed to rebound. This is known as sequence-of-returns risk. Large early losses reduce the base on which future growth depends, increasing the chance of running out of money.
How to Reduce the Risk
Common strategies include holding a cash or short-term bond buffer for near-term expenses, diversifying across asset classes, and adjusting withdrawal rates based on market conditions. The Social Security Administration provides general guidance on retirement income planning at https://www.ssa.gov/retirement/planners/.
