When most people think about their retirement plan, they ask one question:

“How much can I make?”

But here’s the better question:

“What happens if everything goes wrong?”

Because that’s when your real plan is revealed.

Chasing Returns Can Be Dangerous

In a rising market, it’s easy to feel like a genius.
Everything’s going up. Portfolios look strong. Optimism runs high.

But markets go up… until they don’t.

And if your entire strategy depends on uninterrupted growth, you don’t have a plan.
You have a gamble—disguised as a graph.

Returns Create Excitement. Risk Management Creates Longevity.

Yes, your upside matters.

But your floor—your downside—is what keeps your lifestyle protected.

A good plan must be designed around one thing:
Resilience.
Because in retirement, the cost of being wrong is far greater than the reward for being right.

The Hidden Cost of Risk

Risk doesn’t just live in charts and statistics.

It shows up in your emotions:

• The fear of spending too much

• The anxiety of a volatile market

• The regret of missing opportunities

• The paralysis of not knowing what to do next

A great plan doesn’t just survive the storm.
It keeps you grounded when everything around you is shifting.

How to Build a Plan That’s Downside-Ready

Most advisors focus on chasing returns.
At Virtus, we build around risk first. That means integrating:

✅ Your Assets Replacing Your Paycheck – So your income continues regardless of market performance
✅ Tax Protection – Because the wrong tax strategy can quietly drain your wealth
✅ Long-Term Care Protection – One health event can devastate an unprotected plan
✅ Guaranteed Income Streams – Peace of mind that lasts, no matter what the market does

This is the difference between survival and stability.

Design for the Storm, Not Just the Sunshine

When you plan for what could go wrong, you gain the confidence to enjoy what could go right.

That’s the power of true financial planning:
It’s not about maximizing returns—it’s about maximizing possibility, even in uncertain times.

Final Thought

A plan is only as good as its downside.

If your future depends on everything going well, it’s time for a better plan.

One built for real life.
One designed for volatility.
One that protects your lifestyle and your legacy.

✅ Ready to Build a Plan That Protects You—No Matter What?

If you want to stop guessing and start planning with confidence, we’d love to help.

👉 [Click here to book your free Possibility Planning Session]

Let’s design a plan that works even when the world doesn’t.