Rules of Allocation, Logic of Timing

The final decade before retirement is among the most consequential in any financial life — yet it is also the period most vulnerable to misapplied strategy. Late-career savers face a convergence of pressures: peak earning potential, compressed accumulation time, and the looming transition from wealth-building to wealth-distribution. Allocation decisions made in this window carry outsized consequences, and the difference between a well-structured and a poorly calibrated portfolio can define an entire retirement outcome. This book examines the structural logic behind allocation frameworks designed specifically for savers in the late stages of their careers — from the foundational Rule of 100 and its more contemporary variants, the Rule of 110 and Rule of 120, to bucket strategies that segment portfolios by time horizon and income need. It explores how equities, bonds, cash equivalents, and alternative assets interact differently under the pressure of a shrinking accumulation runway. Rather than prescribing a single model, the book builds the analytical foundation to evaluate which rules apply — and when they require adjustment based on individual risk tolerance, tax position, and retirement timing.