Timing..?

[oidyuk1]

Hi . Long time reader of the forum but new member from the UK.  I have recently gone past my target savings , which will give me a WR of between 3 and 3.5% depending on the amount I decide I am comfortable with.
However it is probably 6-12months earlier than I planned finishing work. I work as a freelancer and would prefer to finish the work I am doing (not burning bridges etc ... you never know! ) .
I am not trying to predict the market etc  but it does feel like a drop id likely in the following months.
The question is :- Did anyone reach their total savings only for it to drop just before the date of retirement you had set you heart on?  Did you postpone or carry on regardless?
I know it is a bit of a mindset as it could drop the week after I pull the plug anyway .

Any insight welcome. Thanks

[Monkey Uncle]

If you are at a 3.0 - 3.5% WR, history suggests that it doesn't matter if the market crashes right after you retire.  A repeat of the Great Depression or the stagflation era would not sink that WR.  Although that is based on US market history; not sure how that WR would have fared with the equity portion of the portfolio invested in the FTSE.

[oidyuk1]

Thanks for the reply.  I feel reasonably comfortable with my WR , and I have a good mix of investments , using Vanguard Lifestrategy , so U.S. and FTSE and other markets.
My biggest frustration is being at the right total now but not the correct time to leave my job. I imagine if the market drops , having to postpone leaving work when you have built upto leaving , will be very frustrating! )

[Reynolds531]

Actually one of the historically most accurate indicators points to a correction TOMORROW 08/23.

I put $10k in the market today. We're doomed.

[itchyfeet]

I suppose it would be equally frustrating to put some ff awesome post FIRE plans for an ndfinite period for no reason.

What are you going to do? Work two more years to save another 20%, but then in 2 years and one days time the market might tank 30%, or 40%.

If you can't accept that the market will rise and fall, and maybe at some point you will have less than 30x then maybe stocks isn't for you.

Maybe you should move to less risky assets like bonds, or an annuity even.