How This Couple Increased Retirement Income by Almost 20% to $16,000/Month (Without Relying 100% on the Market‼️)
(don’t forget to checkout the video of this case study too)
When most people think about retirement, they imagine drawing income from the portfolio they’ve worked decades to build.
But what happens when that plan feels too risky?
That’s exactly where Emily (59) and Ryan (61) found themselves.
They’ve saved about $2.5 million, and with continued contributions plus modest growth, they’re projected to retire in 3 years with around $2.8 million.
Their income goal?
About $160,000 per year (roughly $13,300/month) — though they wouldn’t complain if it were higher.
At first, their plan was simple: withdraw about 5.5% annually from their portfolio.
That would provide around $13,365/month, meeting their target.
But here’s the problem:
That strategy leaned heavily on market performance.
And while the market has rewarded long-term investors, taking withdrawals at the wrong time — especially early in retirement — can cause real damage.
So, we helped Emily and Ryan rethink their strategy.
The result?
Nearly a 20% income boost while reducing long-term risk.
Step 1: Repurposing Low Yield Assets for Income
Instead of leaving all $2.8M exposed to market swings, we shifted $1M of their conservative assets (cash, bonds, and other low-yield positions) into a guaranteed income annuity.
That single move locked in $7,000/month for life, starting in just three short years.
This gave them a baseline of reliable, predictable income they could never outlive.
Step 2: Positioning Growth for Legacy
Their remaining $1.7M portfolio — mostly equities and growth assets — stayed fully invested.
But here’s the key:
Now they didn’t need to depend on it for their entire retirement paycheck.
With the annuity handling a large share of the heavy lifting, we could position this portfolio more aggressively.
That increases its long-term growth potential, preserves wealth for legacy goals, and still provides additional flexible income.
By using a guardrail withdrawal strategy, Emily and Ryan can safely draw $8,500–$9,000/month from this portfolio — without risking an early depletion spiral if the markets stumble.
Step 3: Layering in Social Security
So where does this leave them?
- $7,000/month guaranteed from the annuity
- $8,500–$9,000/month from their growth portfolio
- Total: $15,500–$16,000/month — already exceeding their original goal
And we haven’t even added Social Security yet.
At age 67 (Ryan) and 65 (Emily), they’ll start receiving $4,500/month in combined Social Security benefits.
That’s more than just extra income — it’s a portfolio-replenishing stream that:
✔️ Helps protect against inflation
✔️ Provides support for long-term care needs
✔️ Reduces withdrawal stress in later years
The Outcome
By making one smart shift — using part of their portfolio to lock in guaranteed income — Emily and Ryan:
- Increased their starting retirement income by nearly 20%
- Reduced market dependency and withdrawal risk
- Strengthened long-term inflation protection
- Created more flexibility for proactive tax planning, healthcare, and legacy goals
This is the power of a Safety-First Income Strategy:
Blending guarantees with growth to maximize both peace of mind and long-term potential.
If you’re within 5–10 years of retirement, the decisions you make today can set the course for the rest of your financial life, let’s chat.
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Enjoyed this blog? You’ll probably like this one too:
➡️ 7 Questions You MUST Ask Yourself Before Transitioning Into Retirement
P.S. Don’t miss my new one-page Long-Term Care guide — it’s a quick, practical resource you can save for later.
To your success,
Matt
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