A retirement plan should be useful when conditions are not average. Stress testing asks what happens if inflation remains high, markets fall early, expenses rise, or the plan must last longer than expected. It does not predict the future; it helps reveal where the plan has less margin.
Use one consistent set of assumptions for each scenario. That makes the difference easier to understand and gives you a clearer starting point for an important conversation.
Build a private plan, compare two dates side by side, and review the assumptions behind the result.