Retirement Planning Reinvented
To help maximize your income and reduce your risk, try building your retirement on the allocation of income among dividends, interest, annuity payments and withdrawals.


You might think I sound presumptuous when I say that a new era in retirement planning has begun.
But I plan to prove it to you.
An innovative difference
A new retirement planning method demonstrates that by properly allocating the smartest sources of income, you can create more income with less market risk — for the rest of your life. And you can do most of the research on your own.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Retirees and people planning for retirement can follow any number of paths. Most consider — or have been offered — only a fraction of them. Online tools, investment advisers and financial planners supply limited options.
Why? The biggest problem is that most retirement advice favors an allocation of assets — stocks, bonds and cash, paired with an algorithm for withdrawals — designed to make the money lasts as long as the retiree.
Most tools — such as the popular Monte Carlo Analysis — can handle only a few of these asset allocation strategies, thus ignoring major categories of financial vehicles and leaving retirees with market risks. Advisers often guide customers to products that they are already selling. And many are not educated on all the ways retirees can create income security.
When you instead build your retirement on the allocation of income among dividends, interest, annuity payments and withdrawals, you can achieve both higher and safer income. I call it the Income Allocation Planning (IAP) method, and it’s available as a free, no-obligation service at Go2Income.com.
How Is Income Allocation different from Asset Allocation?
The twin goals of the IAP method are to increase the amount of after-tax (spendable) income and to reduce income volatility (for more dependability). IAP differs from traditional retirement planning in three ways:
Step 1 uses annuity payments to provide guaranteed lifetime income. Advisers often ignore annuity payments as an option.
Step 2 treats rollover IRAs differently than personal (after-tax) savings accounts for optimal tax efficiency. Most calculators have a single investment allocation.
Step 3 manages withdrawals from rollover IRAs. Most advisers suggest retirees just withdraw IRS mandated required minimum distributions from IRAs.
How much more income will Income Allocation generate?
Go2Income’s Income Allocation tool enables the visitor to the site to create a customized plan on their own. (And makes available specially trained Go2Specialists to review the plan designed from the tool.)
Set out below is a sample chart from the Go2Income site for a woman age 65 with a total of $2 million in savings (half of which is in a rollover IRA). Based on the assumptions listed underneath the chart and those provided in a detailed report the visitor can order, the income advantage vs. an Asset Allocation strategy is over $11,000 in the first year and over $850,000 cumulatively through age 95.
Here are the key underlying assumptions:
- Stock market return after fees: 6%
- Fixed income return after fees: 3%
- Annuity purchase rates: proprietary Go2Income methodology
- Asset allocation: 50% to equities; IRA withdrawals to 95
The right combination of DIY and specialists
Too many people feel they can’t make their own decisions about retirement. That’s partly because they don’t have all the information they need. It’s also because they haven’t educated themselves.
Now, instead of relying exclusively on your financial adviser to direct your retirement plans, the Income Allocation tool enables you to adjust inputs and create your own retirement income plan. It gives you solid information — and a range of potential solutions — that you can bring to your adviser for discussion.
Go2Income has specialists who can talk to you about the results you get from our tool, but they aren’t the only advisers you should consider. I urge you to examine all your options. Try out other tools and compare the results. Talk to a number of advisers before you choose one to guide you.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Jerry Golden is the founder and CEO of Golden Retirement Advisors Inc. He specializes in helping consumers create retirement plans that provide income that cannot be outlived. Find out more at Go2income.com, where consumers can explore all types of income annuity options, anonymously and at no cost.
-
Donating Complex Assets Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
If you're looking to donate less-conventional assets but don't know where to start, this charity executive has answers, such as considering a donor-advised fund (DAF) for its tax benefits and ease of use.
-
Travel trends you can expect this summer
The Kiplinger Letter Domestic trips will trump foreign travel amid economic uncertainties, though some costs are down.
-
Donating Complex Assets Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
If you're looking to donate less-conventional assets but don't know where to start, this charity executive has answers, such as considering a donor-advised fund (DAF) for its tax benefits and ease of use.
-
Think a Repeal of the Estate Tax Wouldn't Affect You? Wrong
The wording of any law that repeals or otherwise changes the federal estate tax could have an impact on all of us. Here's what you need to know, courtesy of an estate planning and tax attorney.
-
In Your 50s? We Need to Talk About Long-Term Care
Many people don't like thinking about long-term care, but most people will need it. This financial professional recommends planning for these costs as early as possible to avoid stress later.
-
Social Security Pop Quiz: Are You Among the 89% of Americans Who'd Fail?
Shockingly few people have any clue what their Social Security benefits could be. This financial adviser notes it's essential to understand that info and when it might be best to access your benefits.
-
Such Attractive Yields in High-Grade Munis Are Rare and May Not Last Long
According to this munis expert, the last time munis were this cheap was a brief period in 2023. If you kicked yourself for missing out then, you have a second chance now.
-
Financial Analyst Sees a Bright Present for Municipal Bond Investors
High-tax-bracket investors have an excellent opportunity to secure low-volatility, high-quality returns at yield levels rarely seen in over a decade.
-
I'm an Insurance Pro: How Not to Get Dumped by Your Insurance Agent
Your insurance agent or broker might show you the door if you do any of these five things. Being a good customer is about more than paying your bill on time.
-
Two Estate Planning Issues You Should Never Overlook
This estate planning attorney explains why proper asset titling and beneficiary designations make a big difference when it's time to transfer your wealth.