One of my favorite analogies for explaining retirement income is comparing it to taking water from a well. I realize that we’re fortunate and don’t need to do that much in this country, but let’s pretend that every day you go to a well to get your drinking water.  Of course, you need to rely on it for providing you with water for a very, very long time. In order for the ability to quench your thirst for decades, you want to be sure you have enough of a supply of water at all times.  But, you cannot control how much this particular well gets replenished with rain, so you would be careful to only take out the necessary amount to meet your needs, while not taking too much out and running a high risk of drying out the well.  The level of the water, in the meantime, will rise and fall depending on the season you’re in – those rainy, plentiful seasons, and those dry and arid times when there isn’t any replenishment.  Your job is to take what you need from the well, while having confidence in the ability to drink water even during those dry times.  Through rainy seasons and dry ones, you need to be able to rely on a steady source of drinking water.

Retirement income is similar to this, isn’t it?  > SEE MORE