Retirement Income · Tucson, Arizona
Saving Was The Easy Part. Turning It Into Income Isn’t.
The day you stop working, the job changes from growing a number to drawing an income from it — in the right order, from the right accounts, without handing too much to taxes or Medicare surcharges. We coordinate Social Security, withdrawals, and healthcare into one income plan, alongside your CPA.
Income Planning Guide
Estate Planning
Business Planning
Retirement Planning
Charitable Gift Annuities
Insurance
ESOP Structures
Income for Life
Serving Tucson Since 2009
(520) 360-8177
Income Planning Guide
Estate Planning
Business Planning
Retirement Planning
Charitable Gift Annuities
Insurance
ESOP Structures
Income for Life
Serving Tucson Since 2009
(520) 360-8177
One income, seven moving parts
Pick a piece. See what it moves.
The difference coordination makes
Same savings. Two very different retirements.
Two people can retire with the identical nest egg and end up in completely different places — because what decides how long the money lasts isn’t the balance, it’s how the pieces are sequenced. Here’s the difference.
Without coordination
- Claims Social Security at 62 by default — locking in a permanently smaller benefit
- Draws from accounts in whatever order is easiest, quietly climbing tax brackets
- A high-income year triggers Medicare surcharges two years later
- No income floor, so a down market forces selling investments at a loss
- Retirement accounts pass to heirs with an avoidable tax bill
With coordination
- Social Security timing chosen to fit the whole income and tax picture
- Withdrawals sequenced across account types to manage the bracket every year
- Income smoothed to stay under Medicare surcharge thresholds
- A guaranteed income floor covers essentials so investments can ride out markets
- The draw-down plan and the estate plan are built as one
The balance was the same. The plan was the difference.
Retirement income questions
Frequently asked questions
There’s no universal answer — it depends on your other income, your health, and your tax picture. Claiming at 62 permanently reduces your benefit; waiting until 70 increases it by roughly 8% per year. The right timing isn’t a standalone decision; it should be coordinated with your withdrawals and tax bracket, because claiming early or late changes both.
Most retirement firms focus on managing your portfolio for a fee. GIS focuses on the income side — turning what you’ve saved into reliable income by coordinating your Social Security timing, withdrawal sequence, tax brackets, and healthcare costs. We work alongside your existing advisor and CPA, not in place of them.
It depends on your full picture, but the order matters more than most people realize. Drawing in the wrong sequence can push you into higher tax brackets and trigger larger required distributions later. Coordinating withdrawals across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts is one of the biggest levers on how long your money lasts.
Yes — and many retirees don’t see it coming. Higher income can raise your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums through a surcharge called IRMAA, and it’s based on your income from two years earlier. Managing which accounts you draw from can help keep you under those thresholds.
The most reliable approach is building an income “floor” — guaranteed income that covers your essential expenses no matter what markets do — and letting the rest of your portfolio stay invested for growth and flexibility. That structure is what lets you ride out a down market without being forced to sell at a loss.
Those are ingredients, not a plan. A plan is knowing which account to draw from first, when to claim Social Security, how to manage your tax bracket, and how to cover healthcare — all coordinated so they work together. Most people have the pieces; what’s usually missing is the sequencing that makes them last.
From a pile of savings to a paycheck
See how long your money actually lasts
No pitch and no product. A private review of what you’ve saved and how it turns into income — your Social Security timing, your withdrawal order, your tax and healthcare picture. You leave with a clearer view of how long it lasts, whether or not you ever work with us.
Schedule a ConsultationConfidential · No obligation · Tucson, Arizona