

Risk Based Guardrails for Drawdown | Ep 566
29 snips Sep 29, 2025
Aubrey Williams, a financial advisor and founder of Open Path Financial, shares insights tailored for the FI community, focusing on neurodiverse clients. He discusses the shortcomings of the traditional 4% withdrawal rule, advocating for personalized, historical analyses instead. Aubrey introduces innovative 'risk-based guardrails' that allow for dynamic spending adjustments based on portfolio performance, promoting financial confidence. They also explore how community engagement and flexible spending can empower individuals to reach financial independence sooner.
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FI Numbers Should Be Flexible
- Treat your FI number and withdrawal rate as flexible, not fixed.
- Recognize portfolio ups and downs can justify spending changes both up and down.
Career Shift To Advisor
- Aubrey describes moving from engineer to fee-only financial advisor in Santa Barbara.
- He now serves the FI and neurodiverse communities through Open Path Financial.
Cut Small Expenses To Shrink FI Target
- Track and trim recurring expenses to lower your FI target quickly.
- Small monthly reductions compound into large long-term asset gains.