61% of Americans now fear running out of money in retirement more than they fear death itself. Half of all U.S. households approaching retirement are at risk of falling short of their current standard of living.This week on Money On Tap, Ben Brayshaw and Dan Michelon sit with the topic that shows up in the conference room more than any other these days: retirement anxiety — and why so many Americans feel unprepared.What you'll learn:<br /><ul><li>The five fears inside retirement anxiety — and which one most plans don't address</li><li>Why retirement is structurally more anxious today than a generation ago</li><li>The Honeymoon, the Shock, and the Reframe — the three phases of every retirement</li><li>Why men, executives, military, and first responders are hit hardest by the identity loss</li><li>The new 100% income rule (the old 60–70% rule of thumb is dead)</li><li>The six-part income plan that actually reduces anxiety</li><li>Sequence-of-returns risk — and why the first five years of retirement determine everything</li><li>Social Security in 2026: 77% benefit, $1.5T bipartisan proposal, what it means for you</li><li>Why phased / consulting retirement is the underrated soft landing</li><li>The emotional plan nobody writes down — hobbies, friendships, purpose, marriage</li></ul>Plus Money In The News:<br /><ul><li>Can the stock market save Social Security? A $1.5T bipartisan proposal from Cassidy and Kaine</li><li>Ford stock surges on a $2B (becoming $10B) pivot to stationary energy storage with CATL</li><li>Student loan changes hit July 1 — payments rising $300–$350/month under IBR and RAP plans</li></ul>Free resource: Email us with "Retirement Anxiety white paper" in the subject and we'll send the companion document.Read the companion blog: <a href="https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/blog" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brayshawfinancial.com/blog</a><br />Schedule a free consultation: <a href="https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta</a><br />Full Money On Tap episode library: <a href="https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap</a>Contact Us<br />Phone: 855-226-8551<br />Email: [email protected]<br />Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110<br />Web: brayshawfinancial.com<br /><br /><ul><li>What is the retirement red zone, and why does it matter? The retirement red zone is the roughly ten-year window covering the five years before and the five years after your retirement date. It matters more than almost any other period because of sequence-of-returns risk: a major market downturn while you’re beginning to withdraw income can permanently damage the plan, even if the market later recovers. Two people who invest identically but retire a few years apart can end up with opposite outcomes based solely on timing. Navigating the red zone means shifting from maximizing gains to mitigating losses — stress-testing the plan, building a cash runway, rebalancing, diversifying, and adding guardrails like buffered ETFs and guaranteed income.</li></ul>