Free Download — 2026 Checklist

Your Volatility Survival Checklist

A practical, step-by-step guide to protecting your portfolio — and your peace of mind — when markets get turbulent. Built for retirees and pre-retirees on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

  • Portfolio Review: Verify your cash buffer, allocation, and withdrawal rate.
  • Tax Opportunities: Tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversions, and charitable timing.
  • Behavioral Discipline: Protect yourself from emotional decisions that cost 3-4% annually.
  • Emergency Prep: Income sources, liquidity, and insurance coverage review.

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What’s Inside the Checklist?

📊

Portfolio Review (5 Items)

Verify your cash buffer covers 1-2 years of expenses, confirm your allocation still matches your risk tolerance, and assess your sequence-of-returns exposure — especially critical in the 5-year window around retirement.

💰

Tax Opportunity Window (5 Items)

Market dips create tax-saving opportunities. Identify tax-loss harvesting candidates, evaluate Roth conversion windows at lower values, and time charitable giving for maximum deductions. Tax alpha of 1-2% annually adds up fast.

🧠

Behavioral Discipline (4 Items)

The biggest risk during volatility isn’t the market — it’s our reactions. Reduce media consumption, re-read your financial plan, schedule an advisor check-in, and commit to a 48-hour cooling period before making changes.

The Data Is Clear: Staying Invested Wins

4 months
Average correction recovery
+15%
Median 1-yr return after 10% drop
17,715%
Return since 1930 (staying invested)

Missing just the 10 best market days over 20 years cuts your returns by more than 50%. This checklist helps you stay disciplined, find opportunities, and protect what you’ve built.

Schedule a Free Volatility Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often should I review my portfolio during volatile markets?

A: We recommend running through this checklist once per quarter, or whenever the market drops 10% or more. More frequent checking often leads to emotional decisions that hurt long-term returns.

Q: Is this checklist relevant if I’m still working?

A: Yes — especially if you’re within 5-10 years of retirement. The “sequence of returns” danger zone starts before retirement, and the tax opportunity strategies apply to anyone with a taxable portfolio.

Q: What makes Davies Wealth Management different?

A: We’re fee-only and fiduciary — we don’t sell products or earn commissions. Our only incentive is your long-term financial outcome. We specialize in serving retirees and pre-retirees on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Davies Wealth Management | Fee-Only Fiduciary | Stuart, Florida
DaviesWealthManagement@TDWealth.Net | tdwealth.net

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized investment advice. Davies Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

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Thomas Davies, CFS®
Davies Wealth Management · Stuart, FL
Fiduciary
Davies Wealth Management · Fee-Only Fiduciary · 772-210-4031 · Not investment advice