How to retire when the stock market is plummeting

If your retirement plans coincide with a market downturn, it may seem like panicking is your only option. Here’s how you can take back control.

Retirement should feel liberating rather than terrifying. But when an egg-salad sandwich costs more than your first bicycle, the stock market is making like Tom Petty, and economists are bending themselves into pretzels to avoid saying the word “recession,” retirement can feel hazardous to your financial health.