Income

Annuity vs Bond Ladder vs Portfolio Income Calculator

Compare three retirement income strategies — single-premium annuity, bond ladder, and portfolio withdrawals — on starting income, durability, inflation resilience, liquidity, legacy, and complexity.

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How to use

Enter your age, end age, household income need, and the amount allocated to this decision.
Pick annuity payout, ladder term, and portfolio assumptions.
Toggle stress tests (inflation spike, rate drop, early equity bear, longevity extension).
Compare starting income, 0–100 scores, and the year-by-year income timeline.

Assumptions & disclaimer

These calculators are educational. They use simplified models and the inputs you provide. Results are estimates and not personalized financial, tax, investment, or legal advice. Tax law, market behavior, and personal circumstances change — verify any assumption before acting on it, and consider working with a qualified professional for decisions that matter.

Annuity payouts use 'realism' presets (conservative / base / optimistic) rather than live quotes — confirm with actual carriers.
Bond-ladder yield is a starting assumption; future reinvestment is at the rate you specify (or stressed lower if rate-drop is on).
Portfolio simulations use parametric (normal) returns with the chosen preset's mean and volatility.
Taxes are not modeled in the timeline — outputs are gross of tax.