Retire Comfortably with a Smaller Corpus: Focus on Cash Flow, Not Size

• Retiring with a smaller corpus is achievable as expenses often decrease post-retirement, with EMIs ending, education costs ceasing, and daily office-related spends shrinking, offsetting rising healthcare costs.
• Supplement your retirement savings with diverse income streams like pensions, rental earnings, senior citizen schemes, or systematic withdrawal plans to reduce reliance on your main corpus.
• Implement flexible withdrawal strategies, adjusting amounts based on market performance, and use tools like laddered FDs or cash buffers to smooth income and avoid selling assets at low points.
• Protect your capital by re-evaluating insurance, avoiding low-yield accounts, and maintaining a balanced mix of growth assets (equity, debt, hybrid) to combat inflation without excessive risk.
• A smaller, well-managed retirement corpus can provide peace of mind if supported by a clear, honest, and specific plan that outlines monthly needs, income sources, and adaptable withdrawal strategies.

Why It Matters: This offers a less daunting, practical way to achieve a comfortable retirement.