The "Life Mountain" graphic maps your financial journey. The climb up is your working years, where you build wealth. The peak is the "Retirement Red Zone"—the critical 10-year period when you shift from earning to spending. The journey down is retirement itself, where the challenge is to make your money last while navigating new risks like market timing and healthcare costs.

This chart reveals how inflation acts as a "Silent Cashflow Killer" on your income. Using a $100,000 salary as an example, it shows how a steady 4% inflation rate eats away at your spending power. The data highlights a startling reality: to maintain that same $100,000 lifestyle, you'd need to earn $200,000 in just 18 years, posing a huge challenge for long-term financial planning.

This example shows why the timing of your returns is critical in retirement. It follows two brothers, James and John, who both start with $750,000 and withdraw income. James faces market losses early on and his money is nearly wiped out. John experiences the same losses later and his portfolio grows to over $1.5 million. It’s a powerful illustration of how early losses can derail a retirement when you’re taking money out.

This data compares two investments starting with $100,000 in 2000: a market fund and a simple 3% CD. After factoring in a 1.50% annual fee for the market investment, the chart tracks its performance against the CD's steady growth. It shows how the consistent, low-risk bond would have actually outperformed the more volatile market for over two decades.