The "3-bucket strategy" is one of the most commonly used frameworks in retirement planning. Growth, conservative, and cash buckets may sound simple, but the rules governing how they work change dramatically once you retire.

Most traditional 3-bucket strategies are built around one core assumption: that retirement income will be generated by selling assets. The cash bucket is meant to be spent down, the conservative bucket tapped next, and the growth bucket left untouched until markets recover and refill the others. The problem? Retirement doesn't always give you the luxury of waiting for markets to cooperate. When volatility hits, investors may be forced to sell assets at the worst possible time.

In this episode, we break down why a retirement plan that depends on asset sales requires a very different bucket structure than one designed to generate income.

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LET'S CONNECT

Show website:

https://www.providencefinancialpodcast.com

Find us at:

https://www.providencefinancialinc.com

Get to know Anthony:

https://anthonysaccaro.com

Anthony's book:

https://morelifethanmoneybook.com

Amazon Author Page:

https://amazon/author/anthonysaccaro

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https://www.youtube.com/c/AnthonySaccaro/featured

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https://www.providencefinancialradio.com

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January has a way of restoring structure to daily life. The holidays fade, routines return, and expenses begin to arrive with predictable regularity. While working, that structure was anchored by a paycheck which was showing up consistently and making life feel manageable.

Retirement quietly removes that framework. And if you're not careful, it replaces freedom with uncertainty.

In this episode, we explore the critical difference between taking income from a portfolio and simply making withdrawals. We introduce what we call the Paycheck Test: does your retirement strategy deliver income with the same reliability you once depended on from your employer, or are you just hoping balances hold up?

One of the greatest risks in retirement isn't a market downturn. It's the illusion that everything must be fine because account values appear stable. True reliability isn't measured during calm markets; it's revealed when volatility returns and income is still expected to arrive. This conversation reframes how retirement income should be planned, structured, and experienced. Listen in.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

LET'S CONNECT

Show website:

https://www.providencefinancialpodcast.com

Find us at:

https://www.providencefinancialinc.com

Get to know Anthony:

https://anthonysaccaro.com

Anthony's book:

https://morelifethanmoneybook.com

Amazon Author Page:

https://amazon/author/anthonysaccaro

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/AnthonySaccaro/featured

Radio:

https://www.providencefinancialradio.com

Yelp:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/providence-financial-and-insurance-services-inc-woodland-hills

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Providence.FinancialInc/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AnthonySaccaro

LinkedIN:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonysaccaro/

Happy New Year to all our followers, and welcome to Season 7 of the podcast!

Every January carries the promise of progress. The calendar flips, routines reset, and we make the assumption that something meaningful has changed - simply because the date has. But time passing is not the same as progress being made. Our first podcast of 2026 explores the dangerous comfort of automatic optimism and why unchanged habits, outdated strategies, and unreviewed plans often produce the same results year after year.

From gym memberships that never turn into daily discipline to financial plans that haven't been stress-tested for volatility or retirement income loss, we examine why forward movement requires more than intention. Like driving across the country using a GPS map from ten years ago, many people are relying on information that no longer reflects reality. Roads have shifted. Conditions have changed. And without deliberate review and adjustment, even well-meaning plans can quietly fail. This show is a call to stop confusing the passage of time with progress, and to start taking the actions that actually move life forward. Listen in.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

LET'S CONNECT

Show website:

https://www.providencefinancialpodcast.com

Find us at:

https://www.providencefinancialinc.com

Get to know Anthony:

https://anthonysaccaro.com

Anthony's book:

https://morelifethanmoneybook.com

Amazon Author Page:

https://amazon/author/anthonysaccaro

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/AnthonySaccaro/featured

Radio:

https://www.providencefinancialradio.com

Yelp:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/providence-financial-and-insurance-services-inc-woodland-hills

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Providence.FinancialInc/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AnthonySaccaro

LinkedIN:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonysaccaro/