The Annuity Caddie Process
If You Retired in ’98 or ’00…
Would Your Income Plan Have Held Up?
We use real S&P 500 data from 1998 to present to stress test retirement income plans against actual market history — the dot-com crash, the 2008 financial crisis, and everything in between.
The result is a side-by-side comparison: portfolio-only income vs. a plan that includes an annuity. No hypotheticals. No projections. Just what actually happened.
Multiple Scenarios. Real Data.
We run your numbers through multiple market scenarios using actual S&P 500 and bond data from 1998 to present — across different allocation strategies and time periods.
S&P 500 — 100% Equity (1998 & 2000)
What happens to an all-equity portfolio when a retiree starts withdrawing income right before — or directly into — the dot-com crash? Two time periods, same allocation, real returns.
50/50 Blend — Equity & Bond (1998 & 2000)
A balanced portfolio with 50% equities and 50% bonds through the same time periods. Does diversification alone protect retirement income — or does it still fall short?
Custom Blend — Your Allocation
We can set any equity/bond split — 70/30, 60/40, or whatever matches your situation — and run both time periods with your actual numbers.
Then We Add the Annuity Comparison
Each scenario above is run twice — once without an annuity, and once with one of these annuity types in the mix:
Income Annuity
Guaranteed lifetime income stream
Accumulation Annuity
Tax-deferred growth with downside protection
RILA
Market participation with a buffer against losses
How It Works
Four straightforward steps. No obligation at any point.
Book a Call
Schedule a short introductory call. We will talk through where you are in your planning and whether the stress test makes sense for your situation.
Gather Your Numbers
We collect a few key details — portfolio value, income need, timeline, and any existing guaranteed income sources like Social Security or pensions.
Run the Stress Test
We run your numbers through real historical S&P 500 data — comparing a portfolio-only approach to one that includes an annuity. You see the math side by side.
You Decide
There is no pitch at the end. You review the results, ask questions, and decide if the information changes how you think about your plan. That is it.
Portfolio Only vs. With Annuity
The stress test runs two versions of the same plan through identical market conditions — so you can see exactly where the paths diverge.
Portfolio Only
- —All retirement income comes from portfolio withdrawals
- —Market downturns directly reduce available income
- —Sequence-of-returns risk is fully exposed
- —Portfolio depletion is possible in extended downturns
With Annuity
- —A portion of income is contractually guaranteed
- —Less pressure on the portfolio during downturns
- —Sequence-of-returns risk is reduced
- —Trade-off: less liquidity on the annuity portion
Neither approach is universally better. The stress test shows which one held up in your specific scenario — based on your numbers and real market history.
Common Questions
Straightforward answers about the stress test process.
Book Your Stress Test
See how your retirement income plan holds up against real market history.
No cost. No pressure. Just your numbers.