Can I retire at the end of this year given the recent downturn in the markets?

Retiring just after markets have dropped is unsettling, and this piece addresses someone wondering whether a recent downturn should put their year-end retirement plans on hold. The grounding message is that having enough to retire is partly a math question and partly a comfort question, you may well be in good shape, provided you're at ease with your situation and how the plan holds up under a rough patch. It's most relevant to anyone close to their retirement date who's watching their portfolio wobble and second-guessing the timing. The thinking it works through is about separating short-term market noise from the long-term durability of a plan, and about recognizing that confidence in your own circumstances, your spending flexibility and your tolerance for swings, matters as much as the balance on a statement that happens to be down today.