Pre-Retirement
Cautious Carla
Hospital Administrator · Phoenix, AZ
$800k saved. 60% in cash. Terrified of the market — and of outliving her money.
About Cautious Carla
Carla was 37 when her father called to say they might lose the house after the 2008 crash, and she has kept 60% of her $800k in cash ever since — $480k sitting in a money market account because her nervous system will not let her invest it. She knows the cash drag is costing her roughly $200k in foregone growth over the next decade. But she also knows what a market crash feels like in your body, not just on a screen, and no spreadsheet has been able to override that memory.
Financial Snapshot
$150,000
Annual Income
$800,000
Net Worth
55
Age
Cautious Carla's Story — 6 Episodes
Carla's New Relationship with Risk
Six months in, Carla has moved $180k from money market to a diversified portfolio. Her cash allocation has dropped from 60% to 38%. She models her updated retirement picture — and for the first time, the numbers make her feel safe rather than scared.
Uses: fireThe Long-Term Care Question
Carla watched her father's retirement savings disappear into long-term care costs. A nursing home in Phoenix averages $8,500/month. She models three options: self-insure, buy a traditional LTC policy, or use a hybrid life/LTC policy.
Uses: fireThe Bond Ladder Safety Net
Carla's advisor suggests a 5-year Treasury bond ladder: $50k maturing each year from 2027 to 2031. This guarantees income for the first 5 retirement years regardless of what equities do. She models the ladder as a sequence-of-returns shield.
Uses: fireThe Gradual Migration
Carla cannot bring herself to invest $480k at once. Her advisor suggests dollar-cost averaging: moving $20k/month from money market into a 40/60 portfolio over 24 months. She models DCA vs. lump sum vs. staying in cash.
Uses: fireThe Inflation Threat
Carla's money market is earning 4.8% — but inflation is running at 3.2%. Her real return is 1.6%. The model shows what happens to her purchasing power over 30 years of retirement if she stays in cash.
Uses: roth-vs-traditionalThe Cash Drag
Carla's $480k in cash is earning 4.8% in a money market. The S&P 500 has averaged 10.5% annually over the past 30 years. She models the 10-year opportunity cost of staying in cash vs. a 60/40 portfolio vs. a 40/60 portfolio — the most conservative equity allocation she can imagine.
Uses: fire