Case Study
How a $2.4M Retirement Portfolio Could Fund the Life Ahead.
See how the four jobs work together to create liquidity, lifetime income, discretionary income, and long-term growth.
Client profile
John & Jane Sample
Ages 68 & 66 · Colorado · Target Retirement: Age 68
Assets
- Traditional IRA: $1,900,000
- Roth IRA: $200,000
- Cash / Brokerage: $300,000
- Total: $2,400,000
Income Sources
- Social Security & Pension: $4,600/mo
- Reliable income you've earned
Retirement Spending
- Essentials: $8,500/mo
- Discretionary: $4,000/mo
Step 1
Liquidity & Essential Income.
Set aside cash and cover the monthly essentials for life.
Liquidity Reserve
- 12 months of essentials
- held in reserves
- Vehicle
- HYSA / Money Market
- Calculation
- 12 × $8,500/mo
Essential Income Gap
- Essential need
- $8,500/mo
- Guaranteed — SS + pension
- $4,600/mo
- Monthly gap
- $3,900/mo
$102,000
High-Yield Savings / Money Market
$600,000 Income Annuity
Pays $3,900/mo from age 70
Funded from the IRA · joint life
Step 2
Discretionary Income & Growth.
Fund the life they want now, while keeping the rest working for tomorrow.
Discretionary Income
- Target
- $4,000/mo discretionary
- Vehicle
- Income-ETF Strategy
- Illustrative distribution rate
- ~13% (not guaranteed)
- Annual target
- $48,000/yr
Growth
- Total assets
- $2,400,000
- − Liquidity reserve
- $102,000
- − Income annuity
- $600,000
- − Income-ETF Strategy
- $370,000
- = Growth
- $1,328,000
$370,000
$370,000 × 13% ≈ $48,100/yr · from the brokerage & IRA
$1,328,000
Split into growth annuity ($500k) + Growth Fund ($828k)
Full portfolio allocation
Every dollar has a job.
$2,400,000 mapped by purpose. Nothing is invested "just because."
Four jobs. Five holdings. Growth is one job with two holdings working together.
Cash reserve for the unexpected
Lifetime income for essentials
Cash flow for the life you want now
Growth with a 0% floor
Long-term growth and legacy
Two jobs, one type of tool
$1,100,000 · 46% of the portfolio.
Guaranteed income and market protection at the core of the plan.
$600,000
Income Annuity · 25%
Contractual, guaranteed lifetime income — payments for life, regardless of market performance or longevity.
$500,000
Growth Annuity · 21%
A 0% floor against market losses, with a portion of index gains. Crediting terms can change.
The math might say 100% stocks. Your life says otherwise.
We build for the life you're funding — not for a benchmark you don't owe anything to.
The client example on this page is hypothetical and shown for educational and informational purposes only. It is not investment, legal, or tax advice, and does not represent any specific client, product, or contract. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Annuity guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer and are not FDIC insured. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Advisory services provided by Financial Thinking Partner® Wealth Advisors, a Colorado-registered investment adviser; insurance and annuity products offered through Annuity Strategy Center. Form ADV Part 2 is available at adviserinfo.sec.gov. Illustrative income figures reflect the current distribution rate of a blended income-ETF strategy; distribution rates and annuity crediting terms are not guaranteed, are set by the respective fund or issuing insurer, are subject to change, and distribution rates may include return of capital.
Ready to make your money last — and enjoy what you built?
An introductory conversation — 30 minutes, complimentary, no obligation.
Or reach out to Doug directly by sending him an email at doug@financialthinkingpartner.com.