Nobody plans to retire, retirement is thrust upon them. The question "How much will you need per year?" is a way of estimating what level of living standards y

Nobody plans to retire, retirement is thrust upon them. The question "How much will you need per year?" is a way of estimating what level of living standards you are used to, and thus what size your nest-egg will need to be to maintain that level. Very rarely is that a workable thing from your point of view, but it helps the 'Investment Adviser' to push you to a higher investment amount per year, and the the more commission he makes.