Retirement Income, Explained
Plan Retirement Income With Confidence
A small library of plain-English guides for the questions that keep retirees up at night — will my money last, how much should be safe, and where do annuities actually fit?
Why this blog exists
Most retirement content you find online falls into one of two camps. A lot of it is quietly trying to sell you something—an annuity, a managed account, a specific product dressed up as advice. The rest goes so deep into tax code and actuarial tables that it leaves normal readers behind. Neither camp serves the person who just wants to think clearly about their own situation.
This blog sits in the middle. The writing is plain, the math is explained rather than assumed, and nothing here has a product attached to it. Every topic is covered honestly, including the tradeoffs—because almost every retirement decision has tradeoffs, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.
The content is organized as pillar guides—broad overviews of a topic—with deeper-dive posts branching off each one. You can read top to bottom or jump straight to whatever question is on your mind. The goal is simple: help you think through your situation a little more clearly. That’s it.
The Pillar Guide
Will My Money Last in Retirement?
The pillar guide: longevity, withdrawal plans, safe-vs-invested mix, and where annuities fit.
- Plain-spoken explanations
- No product pushes
- Compliance-conservative
The Library
Deeper guides on the questions retirees actually ask
How Much Monthly Income Do I Need in Retirement?
Translate today's spending into a realistic monthly retirement number.
Read articleHow to Build a Retirement Paycheck From Social Security, Savings, and Investments
A simple, stackable approach to replacing your working-years paycheck.
Read articleShould I Move Money Out of the Market Before Retirement?
Sequence-of-returns risk, bucket strategies, and how much to de-risk.
Read articleCDs vs Bonds vs Annuities: Which Is Better for Retirement Income?
Side-by-side: yield, liquidity, taxes, guarantees, and inflation risk.
Read articleWhat Are the Downsides of Annuities?
The real trade-offs: complexity, fees, surrender, and lost upside.
Read articleAnnuity Fees, Surrender Charges, and Guarantees Explained in Plain English
What you actually pay, what's guaranteed, and what's marketing.
Read articleWho Should Consider an Annuity — and Who Should Probably Avoid One?
A short fit-check based on income gap, risk tolerance, and time horizon.
Read articleHow Much of My Retirement Savings Should Be in Guaranteed Income?
Sizing the guaranteed-income sleeve without over-locking your portfolio.
Read articleHow to Compare Annuity Options Before You Buy
The seven numbers and clauses that actually differ between products.
Read articleFixed Annuity vs Fixed Indexed Annuity vs Income Annuity
Three flavors, three jobs — picking the right one for the right role.
Read articleRetirement Income and Portfolio Planning
Build a portfolio that does the income job you need — predictable monthly checks, fewer market knocks.
Read articleRetirement Income and Portfolio Planning - 2
Layer Social Security, savings, and guaranteed income so your plan can handle market dips without panic moves.
Read articleWhat to Bring to a Retirement Income Review
The documents and questions that make a 60-minute review actually useful.
Read article