For people 55 and over with $100,000 or more saved for retirement and no pension to speak of
The day you stop working, your paycheck stops. Your bills don’t.
Your parents had a pension. You have a balance, and the job of making it last as long as you do.
Reading time: 1 minuteUpdated October 2026
Dear saver,
Think about the last Friday you get paid. The Monday after, the bills are still due. None of them retire with you.
Your parents may have had a pension: a check every month, for life. Today only 14% of private-industry workers even have access to one.1 Most people got a 401(k) instead, and a job nobody trained them for: turning it into a paycheck that lasts.
Here’s what makes that job hard:
It may have to last 30 years. For a married couple who are both 65, the odds that at least one of you reaches 90 are about even.2
When the bad years come matters more than how many. Take $500,000 in an S&P 500 index fund, $30,000 out each year, through the same 13 years of returns, 2000 to 2012.3
About $77,000
Left when the bad years came first (the real order).3
Hypothetical illustration using actual S&P 500 total returns: 100% in the index, $30,000 taken at the start of each year, no fees, taxes or inflation raises. Not a prediction, and not how anyone should invest.
You don’t get to pick the year you retire.
When one of you dies, one Social Security check stops. The survivor gets one payment, not both added together.5 The bills don’t shrink with it.
“Can’t I just take a little out each year?”
You can. Published research puts a steady, inflation-adjusted amount that’s likely to last 30 years at about 3.9% of your savings to start.4 From $500,000, that’s about $1,625 a month, before tax. Whether that covers your bills is the real question.
What happens next
Answer five quick questions. See roughly what your savings might pay you each month. Then, if you want, a free 15-minute call by phone. No statements needed. If what you have is already working, we’ll tell you.
The call is with an independent, licensed insurance agent. Educational only, not tax, legal or investment advice.
See what your savings might pay you each month
Five quick questions. Round numbers only, no account details. Your number shows on screen.
How old are you?
Roughly how much have you saved for retirement?
401(k), IRA, savings, brokerage. All accounts together.
About how much do you need to live on each month?
Your household’s regular bills and spending.
Have you started Social Security?
Would you be open to a free 15-minute call to go over your number?
By phone. No statements needed. No pressure. You’ll see your number either way.
Where should we send your number?
It’s ready now. We’ll also show it on the next screen.
By tapping “Yes — text me my results,” you agree that Your Retirement Second Opinion, operated by Azimuth Growth Partners, LLC, and an independent, state-licensed insurance agent in your area (who may pay a fee for the referral, and with whom your information will be shared) may contact you at the number provided, by call and text, including by automated technology and AI-generated voice, about your retirement results and scheduling a call. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy and Terms.
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Sources and notes
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026: 14% of private industry workers had access to defined benefit (pension) plans; 70% had access to defined contribution plans. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ebs2.nr0.htm
Social Security Administration, Office of the Chief Actuary, Actuarial Life Table: 2023 period life table as used in the 2026 Trustees Report (accessed October 8, 2026). Of 100,000 born, 79,084 men and 87,399 women are alive at 65; 19,063 men and 30,504 women at 90; 6,333 men and 12,612 women at 95. Our arithmetic from those figures: a 65-year-old man has a 24% chance of reaching 90 and a woman 35%; for a man and woman both 65, the chance at least one reaches 90 is about 51%, and 95 about 21%, assuming their lifespans are independent. A period table reflects one year’s death rates, not a forecast. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4c6.html
Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern School of Business, Historical Returns on Stocks, Bonds and Bills: S&P 500 total return including dividends (updated January 5, 2026): 2000 −9.03%, 2001 −11.85%, 2002 −21.97%, 2003 28.36%, 2004 10.74%, 2005 4.83%, 2006 15.61%, 2007 5.48%, 2008 −36.55%, 2009 25.94%, 2010 14.82%, 2011 2.10%, 2012 15.89%. Balances are our arithmetic: $500,000 start, $30,000 withdrawn at the start of each year, then that year’s return applied; ending balance $77,360 in actual order and $252,692 in reverse order; $250,046 at the end of 2002. Hypothetical. Past performance does not predict future results. https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/datafile/histretSP.html
Morningstar, The State of Retirement Income: 2025 (2025 edition, safe starting rate for 2026 retirees): 3.9% highest safe starting withdrawal rate for a fixed, inflation-adjusted withdrawal over a 30-year retirement with a 90% probability of money remaining, for portfolios with 30% to 50% in stocks. https://www.morningstar.com/retirement/whats-safe-retirement-withdrawal-rate-2026. Research results rest on assumptions about future market returns and are not promises. Past performance does not predict future results.
Social Security Administration, What you could get from Survivor benefits (accessed October 8, 2026): if you’re eligible for Survivor and another benefit, you choose the payment that’s best for you; the payments won’t be added together. https://www.ssa.gov/survivor/amount
Educational only, not tax, legal or investment advice. Your situation has details this page can’t see. Confirm anything about your own taxes with your CPA or tax professional.
Your call with your specialist15 minutes · by phone · your time zone
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Video: 90s “what happens on our call” from Kyle — HeyGen clone
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What to have handy
None of it is required. Round numbers are fine.
Your latest 401(k), IRA, TSP or savings statement, or just a rough total.
Your Social Security estimate or benefit letter (my Social Security at ssa.gov has it).
A rough idea of your monthly bills.
Your spouse or partner, if they share decisions about this money.
Your questions. Write them down so none get missed.
This is not a high-pressure sales call. Your specialist will look at what your savings might pay you each month and where the gap is. If what you have is already working, they’ll tell you.
Your specialist will call from (XXX) XXX-XXXXplaceholder: routed number. Save it so you know it’s them.