Historically, the financial services industry has been focused on the important task of helping clients accumulate a nest egg of assets for retirement.

However, as you approach retirement, or are already retired, there are significant additional concerns that need your immediate attention. 

First and foremost is the increasingly complex challenge of creating a reliable income stream that will last throughout your lifetime - through various market and economic environments - and allow you to maintain your desired standard of living.

The challenge is to create a retirement income that is:

• Sustainable - to last throughout your lifetime... no matter how long 

• Resilient - to be able to withstand market uncertainties, and

• Increasing - to keep up with the cost of living

Why is it so important to have an increasing income during retirement?  Beause the impact of inflation may force you to adjust to your lifestyle.  For example, a 3% inflation means half your buying power will disappear in 24 years.  What may seem like an adequate income today may not keep up with the rising cost of goods and services in the future.  

Retirement Shifts the Focus from Assets to Income

When you retire, your focus naturally shifts from assets to income.  The issue no longer is how much money you've accumulated.  The issue now becomes how much income can your assets safely generate and how long it will last. 

The challenge is to determine your income needs and then to intelligently create a sustainable, resilient, and increasing lifetime income to support those needs.  

A Different Way of Thinking

Retirement income planning requires a different way of thinking about managing your assets during retirement.  Investment strategies that might have worked well for asset accumulation may not work for lifetime income distribution.  

For example, retirement portfolios are particularly sensitive to market losses.  During your working years portfolio losses can be made up by additional deposits, which can work to your favor by buying in at lower prices.  Also, losses can be potentially made up by allowing enough time for the market to recover. 

But when you're retired, you don't have years to wait for the market to come back.  You are constantly withdrawing income.  When money is coming out and no new money is going in, your retirement nest egg becomes more vulnerable to market risk.

Even moderate market declines can be very damaging.  The problem occurs when you withdraw income from a declining portfolio, you end up with fewer assets even when the market recovers.  Each time this happens it reduces the chances that your portfolio will last as long as you do.  Unfortunately, there are few options other than to cut spending, perhaps substantially, to mitigate depleting your assets too quickly. 

Realistically, retirees can expect to experience several market downturns over their lifetime and have to be prepared with a strategy in advance to preserve their investments and their income when that happens.

Your Goal -  Create Reliable Sources of Lifetime Income  

I focus on helping clients work towards developing a sustainable lifetime income strategy, so they can enjoy the retirement lifestyle they envision with confidence. 

Planning for income to last for 30-years is extremely complex and complicated, given all the risks and variables that confront retirees and the uncertainties that lie ahead.

"I can help you think through these issues, analyze your options, and help determine your most suitable course of action, so that when you're ready to retire, you'll know where you stand on day one." 

 

If you would like to learn how you can work towards creating a dependable lifetime income, I can help.

I provide a complimentary consultation either by phone, Zoom conference, or in person to help you work towards that goal.

Youi will also receive the very informative brochure Planning for Income to Last by Fidelity Investments, which highlights the 5 key risks that today's retirees face today in developing a retirement income plan.

Please click HERE to request your complimentary consultation.

 

LPL Financial and Fidelity Investments are not affiliated

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.