How Much Cash Should You Have in Retirement? (Ep. 179)

Are you holding too much, or too little cash in retirement? 

Finding the right amount of cash to keep on hand is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when creating a retirement income strategy. The wrong decision could lead to stress, missed growth opportunities, or even long-term financial instability.

In this episode of Retirement Unlocked, Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, breaks down how much cash retirees should have in their portfolio, and why it matters more than you might think. He introduces his “retirement cash reserve strategy,” designed to help you generate steady income while protecting against market volatility.

What to expect in this episode:

• A breakdown of bear vs. bull markets since 1945 and what they teach us about cash reserves
• How to calculate 24–36 months of protected cash for downturns
• The role of risk tolerance and income modeling in reserve planning
• How to build a personal “cash reservoir” that keeps retirement stress low
• And more!

Resources: 

• Investing with the Reservoir Strategy (Ep. 119)

Connect with Larry Heller: 

• [phone]
• Schedule a 20-Minute Call
• Heller Wealth Management
• LinkedIn: Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, CPA
• YouTube: Life Unlimited with Larry Heller, CFP®