On thinking about retirement portfolios by purpose — income versus growth — rather than by traditional risk-based allocation.
Income-Growth Framework
Sequence of returns risk, explained: why the order of your returns matters more than the average. Eleanor asked me the question in March of 2023. She was 66 and had retired at the end of 2021, almost exactly at the market’s peak, though no one knew that at the
Income-Growth Framework
Why the goals conversation should always come before the product Rene came in with a folder. That's usually a good sign. It means someone is organized, prepared, and taking this seriously. But as I started going through the documents she'd brought, something became clear within the
The Behavioral Side
The Income Floor Effect
Income-Growth Framework
A new client sits down for their first retirement planning meeting. Before discussing income needs, taxes, or what they actually want from retirement, the advisor hands them a questionnaire. It asks questions like: How would you react if your portfolio dropped 20%? Would you prefer stability or growth? What level
The Behavioral Side
The difference between feeling safe and actually being secure
IRMAA & RMDs
The three-layer system that removes the need to depend on markets cooperating at exactly the right time
Income-Growth Framework
I read another “annuities are terrible” article today. The arguments were familiar: high fees, complexity, opportunity cost, and limited upside. And you know what? Some of that criticism is valid, but not for how I actually use Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs) with my clients. Here’s something important to establish
Income-Growth Framework
Why perfectly reasonable assumptions break down in real retirement life
Income-Growth Framework
In the first two parts of this series, we looked at why pensioners sleep better than self-funded retirees, even when they have less money in the bank. We explored the psychological weight of managing retirement income when every dollar depends on market performance, and we identified the real question
Income-Growth Framework
The woman sitting across from me had $1.8 million in her retirement accounts. She was 68 years old. Healthy. No debt. Pension coming in. Social Security started. And she wouldn’t book the trip to see her grandkids. “I know I should go,” she told me during our tax
