THE NO-COMPROMISE RETIREMENT PLAN • 11
volatile market means for the equities-exposed portion of your re- tirement account. Here’s what many people don’t realize: So far this century — from 2000 to the end of 2019 — the stock market has seen two bear markets (crashes) and two bull markets (growth periods). That’s a LOT of volatility. If you stayed the course and didn’t panic, you’ve done well. You’re reaped the benefits of all-time highs in the market. Right? Well, not quite. From 2000 to 2019, the S&P 500® (a measurement of the 500 largest stocks on the exchange, which is what people usually mean when they say “the market”) returned an average of 6.06 percent. All that risk — riding the roller coaster through booms and busts — netted you around 6 percent a year. Remember, that’s your growth before you pay the fees inside your 401(k) or IRA, and of course before the IRS takes out its portion for taxes.
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