How Much Money Will You Actually Spend in Retirement?
Planning for retirement can be daunting. After all, there are myriad variables to consider – the kind of post-work lifestyle you would like to maintain, the cost of living where you retire to, ongoing inflation, whether you will be collecting Social Security (and, if so, how much), among others – that are not only difficult to calculate, but difficult to even estimate accurately.
In a Wall Street Journal report, two Duke University professors – of behavioral economics and behavioral science – organized a study where they invited “hundreds of people – of different age groups, income levels, and professions – to [their] research lab and asked them how much of their salary they thought they would need in retirement.” Most participants pegged the amount at 70%, but not because they sat down to parse the numbers, but “because they recalled hearing it at some point...and they simply regurgitated it on demand.”
To calculate an actual (not perceived) figure, the professors, Dan Ariely and Aline Holzwarth, “took another group of participants, and asked them specific questions about how they wanted to spend their time in retirement,” then used the data to “[attach] reasonable numbers to their preferences and computed what percentage of their salary they would actually need to support the kind of lifestyle they imagined.” The actual percentage – 130% – almost doubled the conventional wisdom. While initially surprising, the figure makes sense: besides generating income, work is “a very cheap activity” by virtue of employer-covered expenses, like food and drink. Retirement, however, is perpetual free time – and countless opportunities to spend money that would not have been spent while in the workforce.
Ariely and Holzwarth then partnered with fintech company MoneyComb to devise a better way to determine retirement spending. They came up with “seven spending categories: eating out, digital services, recharge, travel, entertainment and shopping, and basic needs” to guide the process, then recommended “[imagining] that every day was the weekend” when estimating spending in each. As a baseline, they suggest visualizing a year in retirement spent “[living]…in the best way you can imagine” – making sure to clarify this “doesn’t necessarily mean ‘more expensive.’” Once each category is calculated and totaled, the number can be multiplied by years of expected retirement – usually around 20 – to determine a savings goal.
By examining each category realistically, future retirees can develop a true picture of their ideal post-retirement life, then develop a roadmap to make it happen. Whether this necessitates lifestyle adjustments in the present, a recalibration of idealized expectations, or a rejiggering of an investment portfolio, thinking about retirement in this way can make that retirement goal obtainable rather than a future casualty of poor planning.
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Momentum Indicator for SPY turns positive, indicating new upward trend
SPY saw its Momentum Indicator move above the 0 level on November 28, 2025. This is an indication that the stock could be shifting in to a new upward move. Traders may want to consider buying the stock or buying call options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 73 similar instances where the indicator turned positive. In of the 73 cases, the stock moved higher in the following days. The odds of a move higher are at .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Oscillator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where SPY's RSI Oscillator exited the oversold zone, of 22 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for SPY just turned positive on November 28, 2025. Looking at past instances where SPY's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in of 54 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
SPY moved above its 50-day moving average on November 25, 2025 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where SPY advanced for three days, in of 364 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
SPY may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator has been in the overbought zone for 1 day. Expect a price pull-back in the near future.
The 10-day moving average for SPY crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on November 24, 2025. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 13 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SPY declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for SPY entered a downward trend on November 28, 2025. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
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