The 4% rule is one of the most widely shared retirement “rules” — but here’s the problem: Real life isn’t a straight line. You won’t spend the same in your 60s as you will in your 80s. Your lifestyle changes. Your priorities change. Your health, travel plans, family commitments — all of it changes. So relying on a fixed percentage doesn’t tell you what you can actually spend or whether you’re missing out on living the life you want now. Good financial planning is flexible. It adapts to your life