A rules-based retirement income plan that adapts when markets move and helps you spend with confidence.
A good retirement plan has to manage both.
You need enough flexibility to reduce pressure after difficult markets, but also enough confidence to enjoy the money when the plan is comfortably ahead.
The aim is not the highest possible income or the largest possible estate. It is a sustainable income you can actually use.
The money should support the life it was built for.
Taking the same amount after an early market fall can put unnecessary pressure on a long retirement.
But setting income too cautiously can mean years of avoidable underspending.
The answer is not to guess one perfect figure. It is to start with a sensible income, hold a cash reserve and agree in advance when spending should rise or fall.
The Guardrails approach starts with a sensible income and adjusts it only when the plan moves meaningfully ahead or behind.
Choose an initial withdrawal based on the portfolio, guaranteed income, tax position, age and spending flexibility.
If the plan moves comfortably ahead, income can be increased at the annual review.
If the plan falls behind, spending is reduced temporarily to protect the longer-term position.
Keep around two to three years of planned withdrawals outside the markets, reducing pressure to sell investments after a fall.
The percentages and withdrawal rates shown are illustrative only. The actual framework is set around the client's age, tax position, guaranteed income, spending needs and capacity for loss.
This example shows how the same retirement plan can respond differently as markets rise, fall and recover.
The portfolio moves above the upper guardrail, so income is reviewed and may be increased.
The portfolio reaches the lower guardrail. Income is reduced temporarily and the cash reserve supports spending.
The portfolio recovers, income returns to its previous level and the cash reserve is rebuilt.
Illustrative only. Actual decisions depend on the client's circumstances, tax position, spending needs and the wider financial plan.
Enter three figures to see how an illustrative Guardrails plan might react when markets rise or fall.
The result is not personal advice. It is a simple way to understand the mechanics before applying them to your wider retirement plan.
Illustrative only. The calculator does not assess tax, investment risk, spending flexibility or personal suitability.
A plain-English explanation of the framework, including the cash reserve, annual review rules and a worked retirement journey.
A 30-minute call is usually enough to discuss the income you need, what you already have in place and whether the Guardrails approach could be relevant.