The news networks start flashing red banners. Your portfolio drops 10% in a week. And suddenly, all that “long-term confidence” feels more like short-term panic.

But here’s the truth most retirees never hear:

The next market drop doesn’t have to be a threat.

It can be an opportunity — if you know how to reposition.

From panic to peace: Why market volatility feels so personal

Retirement changes everything about how you view risk.

When you’re working, a market correction is just a paper loss. You’ve got time, income and contributions on your side. But when you’re retired — or about to retire — every downturn feels like it’s cutting into your lifestyle.

You’re not just watching numbers fall. You’re watching future vacations, family trips and that sense of freedom slip away.

This emotional whiplash is what causes so many retirees to make the worst financial move possible: panic selling. They sell when the market is down, lock in their losses and then sit on the sidelines while it recovers.

That’s not a retirement strategy. That’s a stress strategy.

The problem with traditional “diversification”

Financial advisors love to talk about diversification — “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

But what if all the baskets are still sitting on the same shaky table?

Most retirement portfolios are heavily tied to market performance through mutual funds, ETFs and bonds. And as we’ve seen in recent years, even bonds can lose value when interest rates rise.

So when the market swings, your so-called diversified portfolio swings with it. The result? Anxiety, unpredictable income and sleepless nights.

That’s why more retirees are turning to what I call The Great Retirement Reposition — shifting part of their assets out of uncertainty and into guaranteed lifetime income.

Enter the fixed index annuity: The bridge between growth and protection

If you’ve ever wished you could capture the upside of the market without the downside risk, that’s exactly what a fixed index annuity, or FIA, was built for.

Here’s how it works in simple terms:

• Your principal is protected. You can’t lose money due to market declines.
• Your growth is tied to an index, like the S&P 500. When the market rises, you earn a portion of those gains — without risking your original investment.
• Your growth is tax-deferred. You don’t pay taxes on earnings until you withdraw them, which helps your money compound faster.
• You can add lifetime income benefits, creating a personal pension that pays you every month for the rest of your life — no matter how long you live.

It’s the ultimate blend of peace of mind and participation. You get to enjoy growth potential and protection, without having to time the market ever again.

From chaos to control: The reposition mindset

Let’s make one thing clear: The Great Retirement Reposition isn’t about abandoning the market entirely. It’s about balancing it.

Think of it like building a sturdy retirement bridge. One side is your growth engine — the money you keep invested for long-term potential. The other side is your income foundation — the money that guarantees your bills are paid regardless of market performance.

The reposition strategy simply shifts a portion of your volatile assets into something stable and predictable. That way, when the market dips, you’re not forced to sell. You can wait it out — calmly — because your income is guaranteed.

That peace of mind is worth far more than chasing another risky return.

Case study: Turning panic into a paycheck

Meet Susan and Robert, a couple from Ogden who retired just before the 2020 pandemic crash.

They had $1.2 million spread across mutual funds and 401(k)s. When the market fell 30%, they lost nearly $300,000 on paper. Their advisor told them to “ride it out,” but Susan couldn’t sleep. “Every day, I watched that number drop. It felt like watching our security disappear,” she said.

That’s when they decided to reposition.

They moved $500,000 into a fixed index annuity that guaranteed:

• Zero loss during market downturns
• Tax-deferred growth tied to a major index
• Lifetime income starting at age 67

Fast forward three years:

Their annuity grew steadily while their market portfolio recovered. The combination gave them a new sense of control.

“We don’t worry about what the market does anymore,” Robert told me. “We know the bills are paid, and the rest is just extra.”

Their guaranteed income now covers 80% of their monthly expenses — no matter what happens on Wall Street.

That’s the power of repositioning. It transforms panic into predictability.

The tax advantage few talk about

Here’s something most investors overlook: how annuities can complement your tax strategy.

Because FIAs grow tax-deferred, you’re not paying taxes every year on your gains like you would with a brokerage account. That means more money compounding for you — and potentially lower taxable income in the years before required minimum distributions, or RMDs, begin.

Even better, with qualified annuities inside IRAs, you can use IRS Code §72(e) or §7702B strategies (like long-term care riders) to draw tax-advantaged income for specific needs.

This flexibility makes FIAs a valuable tax tool as well as a retirement income vehicle.

Peace of mind versus panic selling

Let’s pause for a moment and visualize two retirees.

Retiree A is 100% market-dependent. Every downturn hits their balance, their mood, and their sleep. When the market falls, they cut back on spending — or worse, sell investments at a loss.

Retiree B has repositioned part of their assets into guaranteed lifetime income. Their monthly check keeps coming, regardless of market performance. They don’t have to guess when to sell or worry about sequence-of-returns risk.

Who do you think enjoys retirement more?

One lives in reaction.

The other lives in confidence.

Why the time to reposition is now

We’re living in one of the most uncertain economic periods in decades — high inflation, rising interest rates, global tension and unpredictable markets. But uncertainty doesn’t have to mean insecurity.

The sooner you reposition, the more options you have:

• Lock in today’s interest and participation rates.
• Reduce exposure before the next market correction.
• Secure a portion of your assets to guarantee lifelong income.

As the saying goes: Don’t wait for the storm to pass. Build your shelter now.

The bottom line

Market volatility isn’t going away. But with the right strategy, it doesn’t have to wreck your retirement — it can reshape it.

The Great Retirement Reposition isn’t about fear. It’s about freedom. It’s about taking control, protecting what you’ve built, and turning uncertainty into income you can count on for life.

Because peace of mind isn’t something you find in the market.

It’s something you create with the right plan.

Lyle Boss, The REAL BOSS Financial, endorsed by Glenn Beck as the premier retirement advisor for Utah and the Mountain West States. Boss Financial, 955 Chambers St. Suite 250, Ogden, UT 84403. Telephone: 801-475-9400.