Despite a relatively stable economy, the stock market is always susceptible to volatility.
Look back to the Great Recession. The markets eventually recovered, but not before many people took a major hit to their 401(k)s and IRAs. Market volatility can be especially troublesome for retirees because the gains needed to overcome those losses can be significant.
Recovering from losses takes away from one important resource for those nearing or into retirement – time. If a loss takes five – ten years to recover from, not only have you lost that time, you’ve also lost purchasing power due to the inflation that occurs over that period. As you transition from the workforce into retirement, a lack of steady, secured income may make it hard to recover.