Friday 30 December 2016

Retirement Planning and Monte Carlo Simulations

Posted by Kyle Rolek, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™

Many people use an average rate of return to calculate how much they will need for retirement. This method fails to account for market ups and downs that will occur throughout retirement, causes inaccurate planning results, and can create a false sense of confidence.

The Monte Carlo Probability of Success indicates the likelihood of funding all of your goals based on portfolio volatility. This accounts for inevitable market swings and paints a far more accurate picture of what retirement will really look vs. using an average rate of return.

The Monte Carlo result calculates a probability of success by simulating thousands of possible return sequences. This probability of success accounts for portfolio volatility based on the return and standard deviation of your portfolio. An 82% Probability of Success tells us that if we ran the plan 10,000 times, varying the portfolio return every year, the plan would successfully fund 100% of the goals 8,200 times. In the remaining 1,800 scenarios, there would be some sort of shortfall in funding the goals. The graph below displays 1,000 Monte Carlo trials that help illustrate to the client the concept of Monte Carlo and the impact of volatility on their portfolio value.


 Kyle Rolek


The probability of success is displayed using a Monte Carlo meter that is divided into three segments -- Below Confidence Zone, In Confidence Zone, and Above Confidence Zone. The Confidence Zone can be used as a guide to manage retirement expectations.*

Credible retirement planning institutions use Monte Carlo simulations to help clients create accurate retirement plans. Money Guide Pro is an industry leader in Monte Carlo Simulations for retirement and is used by Rolek Retirement Strategies and many other excellent retirement planning firms.

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