Retirement Income Projections

See Your Income Timeline

Most retirement income tools give you a snapshot: "You'll have $48,000 per year in retirement." That's misleading because your income at 62 looks completely different from your income at 72. At 62, you might have portfolio withdrawals and part-time work. At 67, Social Security starts. At 70, a delayed benefit maxes out. At 73, required minimum distributions begin. Each transition creates a new income picture.

Evernest's Income & Inflows Projection shows every income source for every year. You can trace Social Security from its start date through its annual cost-of-living adjustments. You can see pension income starting and, if applicable, ending. You can see part-time work income during your early retirement years tapering off. And you can see how portfolio withdrawals fill the gap between your total income and your spending needs.

This timeline view transforms how you think about retirement income. Instead of one big number, you see a sequence of phases — each with its own income mix, each requiring different amounts from your portfolio. Understanding these phases is the foundation of smart income planning.

Track Income Gaps and Transitions

The most financially stressful periods in retirement are typically the transitions — especially the gap between retirement and Social Security. If you retire at 62 and delay Social Security to 67, you have five years where your portfolio funds 100% of your spending. Once Social Security starts, your portfolio pressure drops dramatically.

Evernest's income shortfall metric tracks this pressure year by year. You can see exactly how much of your spending your income covers — and how much your portfolio must absorb — at every stage. The years with the largest shortfalls are where you should focus your planning energy, because those are the years that determine whether your portfolio survives.

Planning for transitions also reveals opportunities. Part-time work during the gap years can dramatically reduce portfolio withdrawals. A bridge strategy — earning $15,000-$20,000 per year from consulting or freelance work — might cut your portfolio withdrawals in half during the most vulnerable period. Evernest shows you the exact impact so you can decide whether the income is worth the effort.

Model Different Income Strategies

Your income projection isn't fixed — it's a set of decisions you can optimize. Change your Social Security claiming age and watch the income timeline shift. Add or remove part-time work and see the portfolio impact. Adjust your spending and see how the shortfall changes. Each modification instantly recalculates every year of the projection.

The goal is to find the income strategy that minimizes portfolio pressure while maintaining the lifestyle you want. Sometimes that means delaying Social Security to maximize the guaranteed income floor. Sometimes it means claiming early to reduce portfolio withdrawals during vulnerable early years. Sometimes it means bridge income from part-time work. The right answer depends on your specific numbers.

Evernest helps you find that answer by making the comparison easy. Test two or three income strategies, look at the portfolio trajectory under each one, and choose the approach that gives you the best combination of income security and lifestyle flexibility.

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