Key Takeaways
- Achieve your financial goals faster by setting clear guardrails that prevent emotional trading during market changes.
- Establish a rock-solid plan by defining your target date, annual spending, savings rate, and simple asset mix on a single page.
- Reduce stress and uncertainty by building a simple framework that you can trust and follow through different seasons of life.
- Notice that the best plans focus on a consistent savings percentage, which is a powerful action you can control immediately.
The plan you can stick to on one sheet
Complicated plans fail at the first surprise. A one page retirement plan works because it forces four decisions you can follow in real life: goals, savings rate, asset mix, and guardrails. You will turn these into a printable framework and a simple review rhythm.
What fits on the page
Use this as your retirement planning worksheet. Write short answers you can read at a glance.
- Goal and date: target age, annual spend in today’s dollars, and any big purchases
- Savings rate: percent of gross income and where it goes each payday
- Asset allocation simple: stock, bond, and cash targets with 5 percent bands
- Guardrails: what you change when markets move or life changes
- Rebalancing rules: when and how you point the portfolio back to target
- Review cadence: quarterly mini check, annual deep check
Fill the boxes in this order
Keep each section to two lines. Numbers beat adjectives.
1) Name the goal and price it
Annual spend in retirement in today’s dollars. Add a line for one-time costs you know are coming.
2) Set a savings rate you can keep
Pick a percent of gross income. Split it across 401(k), IRA, and taxable so cash flow stays smooth.
3) Choose a three-part asset mix
Write stock, bond, and cash targets that match your timeline and sleep level. Keep it simple and broad.
4) Define retirement guardrails
Write the triggers that tell you to raise or lower spending or contributions. Keep thresholds round and easy to check.
5) Lock rebalancing rules
Choose either calendar (quarterly) or band based (rebalance when any sleeve drifts 5 percentage points). Decide which account gets new money.
6) Add a one-line tax note
Where possible, put bonds in tax-advantaged accounts and broad stock funds in taxable. Keep a short list of accounts and beneficiaries.
Want this on a single printable page with your numbers auto-filled and tracked over time? Build it in a retirement planning tool so the worksheet stays current after each deposit or rebalance.
A worked example you can copy
Illustrative household. Replace with your numbers.
Family: two earners, age 42 and 40
Target date: retire at 60
Annual spend target (today’s dollars): $110,000
Savings rate: 22 percent of gross
Account split: 401(k) 12 percent, Roth IRA 4 percent, taxable 6 percent
| Sleeve | Target | Range | Funds |
| Stocks | 70 percent | 65 to 75 | Broad US + International index |
| Bonds | 25 percent | 20 to 30 | Short to intermediate index |
| Cash | 5 percent | 3 to 7 | High-yield savings or T-bill ladder |
Guardrails
- If portfolio falls 15 percent from last high, cut annual spend by 5 percent until recovered
- If portfolio rises 20 percent above last high, raise spend by 3 percent or pull a one-time goal forward
- If savings rate drops below 18 percent for two quarters, pause nonessential categories until back at 22 percent
Rebalancing rules
- Band based: when any sleeve drifts by 5 percentage points, rebalance with new contributions first, then exchange inside tax-advantaged accounts
- Calendar backstop: if no band breach occurs, rebalance each December
Review cadence
- Quarterly 20-minute check: savings rate on track, drift vs target, cash buffer
- Annual 60-minute check: confirm spend target, retirement age, major life changes
Mistakes that blow up simple plans
- Owning too many funds to manage. Use two or three broad funds per sleeve
- Rebalancing emotionally instead of by bands or calendar
- Ignoring taxes when choosing accounts for bonds vs stocks
- Changing allocation without writing a new guardrail
- Letting the plan live only in a spreadsheet you never open
Fast answers before you print
How detailed should the goal be
Keep one number for annual spend in today’s dollars and add a short note for known one-time costs. Granularity belongs in the budget, not the plan.
What is a reasonable rebalancing rule
Many use 5 percentage point bands with a yearly backstop. It limits churn while keeping risk stable.
How often should I change allocation
Rarely. Only after a major life change. If you upgrade risk, add a note explaining why and a date to recheck.
Do I need international stocks
A simple global mix is fine. The key is writing the target and rebalancing to it, not the exact split.
Where should new money go
Aim all new contributions to the sleeve that is below target until the portfolio is back inside its bands.
