Retirement Income Planning
The single biggest challenge of retirement isn't accumulation — it's turning what you've accumulated into reliable, sustainable income that lasts as long as you do. We design retirement income strategies that coordinate Social Security, pensions, your portfolio, and any guaranteed income sources to meet your spending needs while protecting against market downturns, inflation, and the risk of outliving your money.
How we approach retirement income
Most retirees benefit from a combination of approaches rather than relying on a single strategy. We typically draw from three frameworks:
- →The bucket strategy — segmenting your money into short-term (cash for 1-3 years of expenses), medium-term (bonds and stable assets for years 3-10), and long-term (growth-oriented assets for years 10+) buckets, refilling as needed.
- →The income floor approach — using Social Security, pensions, and where appropriate, fixed annuities, to cover essential expenses. Discretionary spending comes from investments.
- →The total return approach — taking sustainable withdrawals from a diversified portfolio at a rate designed to last through retirement.
The right mix depends on your specific situation: how much you have, what you spend, your guaranteed income sources, and how much market volatility you can tolerate.
What we use to build your income plan
Depending on your situation, we may use:
- →Diversified investment portfolios from established managers including Brookstone Capital Management, Vanguard, Dimensional Funds, and BlackRock
- →Fixed indexed annuities when guaranteed lifetime income solves a specific problem in your plan
- →Bond ladders for predictable income over defined periods
- →Buffered ETFs and structured notes to provide market participation with defined downside protection
- →Cash reserves sized to your specific spending needs
Every recommendation comes with a clear explanation of why it fits your plan, what it costs, and what the alternatives are.
About retirement income planning.
How much can I safely withdraw from my retirement savings each year?
The classic “4% rule” suggests you can withdraw 4% of your starting balance annually, adjusted for inflation, with high confidence it will last 30 years. But that rule was built on specific assumptions that may not fit your situation — your time horizon, risk tolerance, other income sources, and spending flexibility all matter. We build customized withdrawal strategies and stress-test them against different scenarios.
How do I make sure I don't run out of money?
Longevity risk is one of the biggest worries in retirement. We address it through three mechanisms: building income sources you can't outlive (Social Security, fixed annuities where appropriate), maintaining enough growth potential to outpace inflation, and stress-testing your plan against longer-than-expected life spans.
Should I use annuities for retirement income?
Sometimes. Annuities aren't right for everyone, but they can play a role when guaranteed income matters more than flexibility. We use them only when they solve a specific problem in your plan, with full transparency about costs, trade-offs, and alternatives.
Ready to see how retirement income planning fits your plan?
The first 30 minutes are complimentary. We'll talk through your situation and whether we're the right fit.