How to take an ongoing income stream from a portfolio tends to be one of the more confusing concepts for retired investors. The chart above lists the annual returns over the 17 years since 2000 for two investment portfolios: a diversified stock index mix and a short-term bond index mix. Four of the 17 years since 2000 saw stocks decline, the other 13 were positive. Short-term bonds gained value in every year where stocks declined.
When stocks are up, spend them. When they're down, spend bonds. That's it.
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Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Index performance shown includes reinvestment of dividends and other earnings but does not reflect the deduction of investment advisory fees or other expenses except where noted. This content is provided for informational purposes and is not an offer, solicitation, recommendation or endorsement of any particular security, products, or services.