MM-SOR-01 · reviewed 2026-09-05
Sequence returns risk
Clare et al. analyze why the timing of poor returns can change retirement outcomes when withdrawals occur.
Journal of Retirement (2020) · institutional repository ↗Money Mechanics
Learn by
changing one thing.
Predict what happens.
Move the input. Watch the consequence.
Experiment 01 · Investing & retirement
Same average. Different ending.
Try one variable at a time
Four questions worth testing.
Each experiment takes 1–3 minutes. Nothing here is a score or a recommendation.
Research basisSource IDs and review dates ＋
MM-SOR-02 · reviewed 2026-09-05
Historical withdrawal analysis
Bengen’s historical analysis is a foundational illustration of withdrawal outcomes across different return sequences.
Journal of Financial Planning (1994) ↗MM-BS-01 · reviewed 2026-09-05
Assets, liabilities, and liquidity
The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances reports household balance sheets by asset and liability category; Money Mechanics keeps liquid cash distinct from home equity.
Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (2023) ↗MM-DEBT-01 · reviewed 2026-09-05
Interest on unpaid balances
The CFPB explains common daily-balance interest calculations used by credit-card issuers.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ↗MM-INF-01 · reviewed 2026-09-05
Price stability and purchasing power
The Federal Reserve states a 2 percent longer-run PCE inflation goal; the experiment shows the arithmetic distinction between nominal and real values.
Federal Open Market Committee (2026) ↗Sources motivate the mechanisms, not the example inputs. The experiments are simplified educational arithmetic, not forecasts or financial advice.