---
title: An Investment Plan Can Help You Monitor Spending in Retirement
description: An investment plan can help you understand where you stand in retirement. Are you still on track to reach your retirement goals?
---

[![Assembly Wealth](https://www.letsassemble.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Assembly/logos/Assembly-Wealth-Logo-Orange-500px.png?width=300&height=70&name=Assembly-Wealth-Logo-Orange-500px.png "Assembly Wealth")](https://www.letsassemble.com/)

The Money Manager People TM

[800-541-7774](tel:+18005417774)

[![RESEARCH MONEY MANAGERS](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/10700/7ecbcb66-3fbb-41e3-b219-c24fb3c769c5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/10700/7ecbcb66-3fbb-41e3-b219-c24fb3c769c5)

[![Client Center](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/10700/8691dcb4-caa3-42c2-a810-77b59f461fd2.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/10700/8691dcb4-caa3-42c2-a810-77b59f461fd2)

[Home](https://www.letsassemble.com/)

WrapManager's Wealth Management Blog

When life changes, we can help you thoughtfully respond.

[< Back to read another post](https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog)

# An Investment Plan Can Help You Monitor Spending in Retirement

Posted by [ WrapManager's Investment Policy Committee](https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog/author/wrapmanagers-investment-policy-committee)  
 January 10, 2014

- [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share)

An investment plan is a tool you can use to help you understand where you stand in retirement at every step of the way. Are you still on track to reach your retirement goals? How likely is it you be able to maintain your current lifestyle throughout retirement? Can you afford your current and potential healthcare costs? How much will you be able to leave behind for your loved ones?

**[A well-constructed investment plan](https://www.letsassemble.com/free-personalized-investment-plan)** can give you a good sense of the answers to these questions. Instead of figuring it out as you go, you can examine a variety of outcomes to help you make more informed choices.

 

### Factoring Spending Goals into Investment Plans

 

Before you can use an investment plan to help monitor your spending in retirement, it’s important to provide detailed answers to some fairly basic questions: what are your income needs/desired income in retirement? How might those needs change over time?

This means creating a budget that outlines your proposed spending needs in retirement year by year, while also considering one-time expenses or planned increases to spending needs, such as a year in which you wish to travel or buy a new car.

 

### Your Investment Plan as a Dynamic Retirement Tool

 

Once you’ve created an investment plan that factors-in your cash flow needs in retirement, you can make adjustments to it to see how it might impact your ability to reach your goals.

For instance, if you add in a hypothetical purchase of a new car in five years, how does that cost affect the trajectory of your net worth over time? Would it maybe make more sense to wait 10 years to get a better feel of where you stand then?

You can also adjust your investment plan based on other factors, such as inflation projections, increases to health care costs, or rate of return you receive on your investments. As those inputs change, it could impact your net worth—and therefore spending capacity—over time. Looking at different scenarios and outcomes can help you make more informed investment choices.

 

### An Investment Plan that Changes as Your Needs Change

 

One of the great things about an investment plan is that it can change with you, as your needs change. That way you can consistently have a sense of where you stand, even if life events cause a substantial change to your original retirement plans. The investment plan will help you make smarter decisions about adjustments to things like spending or the asset allocation of your portfolio.

At WrapManager, we create and help update investment plans over time for our clients to chart their retirement plans and help them stay aware of the probability of reaching their goals. If you want to explore creating an investment plan for yourself and your family, please give us a call today at 1-800-541-7774 to get started, **[or click here](https://www.letsassemble.com/free-personalized-investment-plan)**. One of our Wealth Managers would be happy to help you.

[Retirement Planning](https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog/topic/retirement-planning) [Investment Plan](https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog/topic/investment-plan) [Retirement Income Strategy](https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog/topic/retirement-income-strategy)

### Subscribe to Updates

[Subscribe to RSS Feed](https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog/rss.xml)

[![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/10700/ffe2a394-957b-481b-9f80-4ef176bd6aaf.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/10700/ffe2a394-957b-481b-9f80-4ef176bd6aaf)

### Most Recently Published

### Blog Authors

[![Gabriel Burczyk](http://www.wrapmanager.com/hs-fs/hub/10700/file-2347381761-jpg/Athors_Avatars/Gabe-avatar.jpg "Gabriel Burczyk")](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/gabriel-burczyk)

[**Gabriel Burczyk,**](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/gabriel-burczyk)  
[Founder & CEO](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/gabriel-burczyk)

[![Valerie De Vol](http://www.wrapmanager.com/hs-fs/hub/10700/file-2457588837-jpg/Athors_Avatars/Valerie-De-Vol-avatar.jpg "Valerie De Vol")](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/valerie-de-vol)

[**Valerie De Vol, **IACCP®  
Chief Operating Officer](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/valerie-de-vol)

[![Seton-avatar.jpg](http://www.wrapmanager.com/hs-fs/hub/10700/file-2344519198-jpg/Athors_Avatars/Seton-avatar.jpg "Seton-avatar.jpg")](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/seton-mcandrews)

[**Seton McAndrews, **CFP®  
](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/seton-mcandrews)[Vice President - Investments](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/seton-mcandrews)

[![Doug Hutchinson](http://www.wrapmanager.com/hs-fs/hub/10700/file-2347381751-jpg/Athors_Avatars/Doug-avatar.jpg "Doug Hutchinson")](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/doug-hutchinson)

**[Doug Hutchinson,](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/doug-hutchinson) **[CFA®  
](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/doug-hutchinson)[Director of Research and Trading](http://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-blog/author/doug-hutchinson)

![Katie - square.png](https://www.wrapmanager.com/hubfs/Katie%20-%20square.png "Katie - square.png")

[**Katie O'Connor  
**Director of Client Services](https://www.wrapmanager.com/wealth-management-advisors/katie-oconnor)

**Important Disclosure Concerning WrapManager Blogs**

Blogs found at this site have been created or supported by WrapManager. The information provided in a blog post prepared by WrapManager or an associated person of WrapManager is generally limited to financial and economic issues, but may include a discussion of general interest items. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog authors, and not necessarily those of WrapManager, Inc. Certain blog posts include information pertaining to WrapManager’s investment advisory services and the products and services of unaffiliated money managers. Such information is provided for information purposes only. Accordingly, information provided in a blog should not be construed by any consumer and/or prospective client as a solicitation to effect or attempt to effect transactions in securities or the rendering of personalized investment advice. Any subsequent, direct communication by WrapManager with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative of WrapManager. Moreover, no client or prospective client should assume content contained on the website serves as a substitute for personalized advice from WrapManager. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any investment, portfolio or money manager referred to within the blog will be suitable for your individual situation and risk tolerance or will be profitable. WrapManager recommends that you retain a financial professional to provide you with specific guidance regarding your financial situation before investing. Investment in equity strategies involves substantial risk and has the potential for partial or complete loss of funds invested.

Although the information included in the WrapManager, Inc. website and blog has been obtained from sources WrapManager believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and information may be subject to change without notice. This website should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. Information on this site should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal, tax or accounting advice by a professional in your local jurisdiction.

Comments made by third parties are subject to moderation by WrapManager and may not appear on this blog until they have been deemed appropriate for posting. Also, due to the volume of comments received, not all comments will be posted.

WrapManager does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party website linked to WrapManager's web site or incorporated within a blog post. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

 

 

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "WrapManager's Investment Policy Committee",
    "url" : "https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog/author/wrapmanagers-investment-policy-committee"
  },
  "datePublished" : "2014-01-10T21:54:00.000Z",
  "headline" : "An Investment Plan Can Help You Monitor Spending in Retirement",
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.letsassemble.com/wealth-management-blog/an-investment-plan-can-help-you-monitor-spending-in-retirement",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://www.letsassemble.com/hubfs/Assembly/logos/Assembly-Wealth-Logo-Orange-500px.png"
    },
    "name" : "Assembly"
  }
}
```