Turn what you saved into income you can count on
Retirement income planning is about turning what you have saved into money you can actually live on. It looks at your savings, your Social Security, your pension if you have one, and the gap that is left over each month.
The first question is what the money is for
I start with what you already have: a pension estimate, a TSP or 403(b) balance, an old 401(k) from a job you left, an annuity somebody sold you. Then we look at what each dollar is being asked to do, and for how long.
The income gap
Add up what your life actually costs each month. Subtract the income you already expect from Social Security or a pension. What is left is the number your savings has to cover, and it is the only number that matters.
Guaranteed income you cannot outlive
A fixed or fixed indexed annuity can create a monthly check that keeps arriving no matter how long you live. It takes pressure off the rest of your savings and it solves the one risk you cannot diversify away.
Pension and survivor elections
Lump sum or monthly. Full survivor benefit, partial, or none. These are one-time decisions with a deadline, and I walk through the packet with you before you sign.
Rollovers, done cleanly
An old employer plan, a TSP account or an IRA can move into an annuity without a taxable event when it is done correctly. I explain the direct route and keep the paperwork clean. Your tax professional confirms the tax side.
Sequence of returns risk
A bad market in the first few years of retirement, while you are also withdrawing, does more damage than the same market ten years in. Principal protection exists partly to solve this, and I show you where it fits.
Protection underneath the plan
Living benefits, final expense and a policy that keeps a spouse from selling the house. The protection layer is what keeps the income plan from being undone by one bad year of health.
The same five steps, every time
A short conversation
Income, obligations, timeline and what you are actually worried about. No product is mentioned and nothing is sold. Usually 20 to 30 minutes by phone or video.
A look at what you own
Group coverage, old policies, pension paperwork, retirement accounts. I map what each piece is doing today and where the gaps are, and you get that in writing.
Options, side by side
Two or three routes with the trade-offs written down: guarantees, access to the money, cost, and the scenario where each one underperforms.
Application and underwriting
I handle the application, the carrier questions and the beneficiary designations end to end, and you have my direct number the whole way through.
Annual review
Jobs change, families change, rules change. I review every policy I place each year so it keeps doing the job you bought it for.
About retirement specifically
Retirement income planning is about turning what you have saved into money you can actually live on. It looks at your savings, Social Security, and any guaranteed income sources such as a pension, then builds a plan for how much comes in each month and how long it lasts. Lighthouse Legacy Strategies is an independent insurance practice, so my part of that picture is the insurance and annuity side. Call (501) 516-9456 to walk through yours.
The earlier the better, but there is no wrong time to start. If you are within 10 to 15 years of retiring, this is exactly the right time to build a real plan instead of hoping your savings stretch far enough. If you are already retired and worried about a market drop, the conversation is just as useful.
It depends on your expenses, your health, and how long you expect retirement to last. A common starting point is replacing 70 to 80 percent of your working income, but the right number comes from your actual budget, not a rule of thumb. I do that math with you in plain language before any product is discussed.
Yes. A fixed annuity or fixed indexed annuity can provide guaranteed income you cannot outlive, which takes pressure off your other savings. I show you where that fits alongside Social Security, a pension, and any other income you have. Guarantees are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
Retirement money can be moved into an annuity contract held inside an IRA, and it happens every day. The account stays a retirement account, so the existing tax treatment carries over. What changes is where the money sits and what the contract offers, such as principal protection or lifetime income. Whether that fits depends on your timeline, your other income and how much liquidity you want to keep.
There is no single right answer, and anyone who gives you one without seeing your situation is guessing. A lump sum gives you control and something to leave behind. Monthly payments give you a check you cannot outlive, though they may end or reduce at death depending on the option you elect. Bring your election packet and we will walk through it together.
Sequence of returns risk is the danger of hitting a bad market in the first few years of retirement while you are also withdrawing money. Two people can average the same return over twenty years and end up in very different places purely because of the order the losses arrived. Products with principal protection exist partly to address this, and I can explain how.
Guaranteed lifetime income means the insurance company contractually agrees to pay you an income for as long as you live. Those payments are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company, which is why the financial strength of the carrier matters. I go through the actual contract language with you before anything is signed.
No, and most people do not. Many clients keep the bulk of their savings where it is and use a portion to cover a guaranteed income floor. How much, if any, belongs in an insurance product depends on your income gap, your liquidity needs and your comfort with market risk. If nothing I offer fits, I will tell you that.
No. I am a licensed insurance agent, and Lighthouse Legacy Strategies is an independent insurance practice. I am not a registered investment adviser, not a broker dealer, not a law firm and not a tax firm. I do not give investment, legal or tax advice, and I do not sell securities. What I do is explain and place life insurance and annuity contracts.
Nothing. The initial conversation is free and carries no obligation. I am compensated by the insurance company when a policy is placed, not by a fee charged to you. You can ask questions, request an illustration and walk away without owing anything. Ask me directly how I am paid on anything I show you and you will get a plain answer.
Your most recent statements for any retirement accounts, your Social Security benefit estimate, and any pension election paperwork you have received. If you already own an annuity or a life policy, bring the contract or the latest annual statement. If you cannot find something, call anyway. We can work from what you have.
Yes, if you live in Missouri or Texas. I hold active insurance licenses in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas, and licensing is handled state by state, so confirming your state is the first thing I check. Most consultations happen by phone or video, so where you live inside those three states does not matter. Call (501) 516-9456 and I will confirm yours.
The other three pillars
These are not competing products. They solve different problems, and which ones you need depends entirely on what your money is being asked to do.
Annuities
Fixed and fixed indexed annuities that protect a balance you cannot afford to lose and turn it into income that arrives whether the market cooperates or not.
ExploreLife Insurance and IUL
Term, whole life and indexed universal life with living benefits, sized to the job you are hiring the policy to do rather than a rule of thumb.
ExploreFinal Expense and Mortgage Protection
Smaller policies with simplified approval that keep a funeral or a mortgage from landing on your family in the worst week of their lives.
ExploreStart with a conversation, not a recommendation.
Bring what you already own. Statements, policies, benefit summaries. You will leave with a written picture of where you stand whether or not you ever work with me.