Wall Street’s tumbling stock prices are falling particularly hard on one group of people: folks who were just about to collect their gold watches (or buyouts) and step into retirement. A bear market during the first five years of your retirement can doom the chances of your money lasting until you no longer need it, according to new research from T. Rowe Price. The firm is counselling investors not to retire if that means they have to start drawing down their investments and taking Social Security while the bear continues to grumble.

Every extra year of work and 401(k)-feeding can increase retirement income by 7 percent, according to new research from the firm. Even workers who stay at the job but stop putting away money will increase their retirement income by 4 percent a year. Furthermore, Social Security benefits get roughly 8 percent fatter for every year that you delay starting them. Combining all three: working longer, keeping up those retirement contributions and delaying Social Security can boost the purchasing power of a 62-year-old by as much as 30 percent.

Of course, not everyone that retires does so on their own schedule, but T. Rowe Price has advice for the involuntarily retired, too. Try to find enough part-time work and household savings (yard sales, anyone?) to keep your retirement account withdrawals below the 4 percent-a-year level deemed safe during good economic times. Keep some money invested in stocks and hang on until the market improves before you start seriously cashing in. Then you should really be golden.