What's My Number? Retirement Edition

Purpose Driven Finances – September 13, 2025

Segment 1: Let’s Talk the Portfolio

Theme: Job Data Revisions, Inflation Trends, and Market Shifts

Allan began this week’s program by unpacking the latest Non-Farm Payroll (NFP) adjustments, revealing that 911,000 phantom jobs were removed from the prior 12-month reports. Combined with last year’s 818,000 downward revisions, that’s 1.73 million fewer jobs than originally reported, cutting the true average monthly job gain to roughly 76,000, not 150,000.

Inflation remains elevated at 2.92%, up slightly from 2.83%, with forecasts calling for a potential rise toward 3.2% next month. Allan noted that these pressures echo the early-2000s environment, where political and faith-driven shifts intersected with economic uncertainty, influencing both consumer sentiment and market behavior.

“The numbers matter—but context matters more. Markets are emotional, not mechanical.”

Segment 2: What’s My Number? — Retirement Edition

Why Your Retirement Number Matters

Retirement planning isn’t just about math—it’s about clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.

• Clarity = Confidence: Knowing your retirement number replaces uncertainty with purpose.
• Peace of Mind: It helps answer the question, “Will I outlive my money?”
• Avoid Guessing: Without a defined plan, people risk spending too little out of fear—or too much out of false security.
• Purpose in Retirement: True freedom comes from aligning money with meaning—living the life you were called to live.

How to Discover Your Retirement Number

1. Define Your Lifestyle Goals — What does retirement look like for you? Travel, downsizing, family, giving?
2. Translate Goals into Dollars — Include all expenses: living costs, healthcare, taxes, inflation, and long-term care.
3. Subtract Guaranteed Income — Factor in Social Security, pensions, and annuities.
4. Calculate the Gap — Determine how much your investments must generate annually.
5. Run the Math — Multiply annual needs by expected retirement years (inflation-adjusted). Use a withdrawal rate under 5% for sustainability.

Living with Your Number

• Budgeting: Review annual spending to stay aligned with your plan.
• Flexibility: Adjust withdrawals in strong or weak markets.
• Healthcare: Account for rising medical and long-term care costs.
• Legacy & Giving: Define what portion supports family or charitable goals.
• Periodic Reviews: Recalculate every few years—your number should evolve with life and markets.

Every retiree needs a number—a clear guide to freedom, not fear.

“At Servus Capital Management, we help you discover your number, live within it, and adjust as life changes—so retirement becomes purpose, not pressure.”

📞 Contact Servus Capital Management for a personalized retirement review.

www.servuscm.com

Live with Purpose. Plan with Clarity.