Hi Brad, good morning — I’m a bit skeptical of the new 5.5% safe withdrawal rate proposal from Bill Bengen, mostly since it seems to conflict so significantly with Big Ern’s research. Do we know what assumptions Bengen is using to come to this conclusion? The New Safe Withdrawal Rate: Is It Really Safe? The personal finance world has been set abuzz by Bill Bengen's latest proposal: a safe withdrawal rate of 5.5%. This recommendation marks a considerable deviation from the time-honored 4% rule, a shift that could, at first glance, appear to be a game-changer for retirees. If proven true, this new rate would indeed represent a "massive improvement in retirement finances," potentially boosting withdrawal capability by a significant margin. Imagine increasing your retirement withdrawals from $40,000 to $55,000 annually on a $1 million portfolio—a 37.5% increase!…