This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.

But the truth, as this article reminds us, is that U.S. bonds were never truly risk-free.

What You Should Know: From rising inflation to trade wars and an ever-growing national debt, today’s market volatility simply shines a brighter light on risks that have always quietly existed beneath the surface. This realization is a call to rethink what "safe" really means in your portfolio—and to understand that protecting your nest egg isn't about finding a "perfect" asset, but about staying adaptable and diversified as the world changes.

Key Takeaways:

📌 Risk is Always Relative: "Safe" assets like Treasuries can fluctuate and lose value

📌 Short-Term vs. Long-Term Matters: Longer-term bonds carry more risks like inflation exposure and price swings

📌 A Broader View is Key: True resilience may come from a diversified mix of lower-risk assets; not blind faith in a single market or security

📌 Your Goals Define Your Risks: What's "safe" depends on your personal timeline, income needs, and financial purpose

Bottom Line: Your retirement plan should be guided by a comprehensive process that acknowledges both dreams and realities. Tune out the financial “noise”, but bear in mind the complexity of what “risk-free” really means.