PATHS TO RETIREMENT CALCULATOR
3 Paths to Retirement
Your Fiduciary Firm — Scottsdale, Arizona
Step 1 of 5 — Your Situation
20%
Build Your Retirement Picture
Adjust the sliders to match your situation. We'll calculate all three paths instantly — the same analysis our advisors run for every client.
3 Paths. One Starting Point.
Same $1,000,000 portfolio. Three completely different outcomes after 10 years. Which path is your broker leaving you on?
Path 1 — Bad
RMD Status Quo
Do nothing. The IRS forces Required Minimum Distributions at age 73. Higher tax brackets silently drain your legacy year after year. Passive — and costly.
Est. after-tax value
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Tax drag: calculating…
Path 2 — Better
Roth Conversion + Annuity
Convert up to the 24% bracket annually. Lock in a Roth-friendly fixed-indexed annuity with a guaranteed bonus while you still have earned income.
Est. after-tax value
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Advantage: calculating…
★ Recommended
Path 3 — Best
Annuity Bonus + DCA*
Maximum deposit to maximize Bonus & Compounding. Annuity bonus reinvested via dollar-cost averaging over 10 years — eliminating sequence-of-returns risk entirely.
Est. after-tax value
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Advantage: calculating…
* Maximum deposit strategy is designed to maximize the annuity bonus and compound growth over a 10-year dollar-cost averaging period. Subject to carrier guidelines and individual suitability.
** Airbag Feature — Available through Income Protection Riders. When the market fails to perform or is playing catch-up on losses, this feature provides a guaranteed income floor, protecting your retirement paycheck regardless of market conditions.
*** Portfolio Preservation Feature — Included in Rider Benefits. Designed to protect against spend-down of assets due to Catastrophic Illness, Home Health Care, and Nursing Home events. Your legacy stays intact even in worst-case health scenarios.
The Hidden Truth About Your Broker
It's not what you don't know — it's what they're not telling you. Fiduciary duty is everything.
Who is legally required to act in YOUR best interest?
Broker (e.g. Edward Jones, Merrill Lynch, Fidelity)× No fiduciary duty
Your CPA / Tax Accountant× No fiduciary duty
Brokerage Custodian (standard)× No fiduciary duty
Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)✓ Legally bound to you
Secured Financial Solutions LLC — Your Fiduciary Firm✓ Your interest. Always.
Brokers earn commissions as long as your assets stay on their platform. An annuity strategy that moves money out — even one that's mathematically superior — cuts their revenue. They are not required to disclose that better options exist. A fiduciary is. That's the difference. That's why SFS was built as Your Fiduciary Firm.
Rider Benefits Explained
Airbag Feature ** Rider
Available through Income Protection Riders. When the market fails to perform or is playing catch-up on prior losses, this feature deploys a guaranteed income floor — your paycheck continues regardless of what the market does.
Portfolio Preservation *** Rider
Included in Rider Benefits to protect against spend-down of assets due to Catastrophic Illness, Home Health Care, and Nursing Home events. Your portfolio and your legacy stay protected when health crises strike.
Income Protection Rider
Guarantees a minimum income base that grows even in down markets. Locks in gains annually through ratchet mechanisms — your income floor can only go up, never down.
Maximum Bonus Strategy * Feature
Structured maximum deposit to optimize the annuity bonus and 10-year DCA compounding engine. More in at the right time = substantially more out over the accumulation period.
2000–2010: A $1M Lesson in Sequence of Returns
The S&P 500 returned nearly zero over a full decade. Here's what happened to two identical $1M portfolios — and why the Airbag Feature changes everything.
Withdrawing from a falling market locks in losses permanently. Path 3 deploys the Airbag Feature through the Income Protection Rider — guaranteed income continues while the bonus is dollar-cost averaged back into the market during the downturn. By 2010, the DCA portfolio had captured the full recovery. The withdrawal portfolio never did.
Every income source has a tax profile. Dividends reinvested = capital gains rates. Dividends taken as cash = ordinary income rates. Social Security, part-time income, RMDs — Path 3 optimizes the tax interaction of all of them simultaneously.
Every income source has a tax profile. Dividends reinvested = capital gains rates. Dividends taken as cash = ordinary income rates. Social Security, part-time income, RMDs — Path 3 optimizes the tax interaction of all of them simultaneously.
~0%
S&P 500 net gain
2000–2010
2000–2010
✓ Floor
Airbag Rider protects
income in down markets
income in down markets
5–10%
Annual penalty-free
annuity withdrawals
annuity withdrawals
Annuity Myths — Busted
What your broker told you isn't the complete picture. Here's what the math and regulations actually show.
Myth
"Annuities lock up all your money — you can't touch it."
Reality
Fixed-indexed annuities allow 5–10% penalty-free withdrawals annually. Accessible from day one, with income riders providing guaranteed lifetime income.
Myth
"All annuities have high hidden fees."
Reality
Variable annuities carry high costs. Fixed-indexed annuities often have zero internal fees — the insurer earns from the spread, not your pocket.
Myth
"Income and Portfolio Preservation Riders aren't worth it."
Reality
The Airbag Feature and Portfolio Preservation Rider provide a guaranteed income floor AND protection against catastrophic health spend-down — two risks no stock portfolio can hedge.
Myth
"Convert to Roth only after you retire."
Reality
Converting while still earning income — filling the 24% bracket — is the optimal window. Your CPA likely hasn't suggested this. They have no fiduciary duty to your retirement outcome.
Retire Safe! Retire Smart! Retire Secure!®
Your Fiduciary Firm — Scottsdale, Arizona
Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation strategy session. Our fiduciary advisors will run your personal numbers across all three paths — including the Airbag Feature, Portfolio Preservation Rider, and Maximum Bonus DCA strategy.
Schedule My Free Consultation
480.248.8980
This calculator is for educational and illustrative purposes only. It is not personalized financial, tax, or investment advice. Results are hypothetical and not a guarantee of future performance. Annuity features, bonuses, and rider benefits vary by carrier and product. Subject to individual suitability review.
Secured Financial Solutions LLC — Goldline Research Wealth Managers. As featured in Forbes Magazine 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015.
Secured Financial Solutions LLC — Goldline Research Wealth Managers. As featured in Forbes Magazine 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015.