Service

Retirement income planning

Retirement income planning turns a balance into a paycheck. It answers how much you can spend each month, which accounts that money comes from, and what you do if markets fall or you live longer than you planned. We do this work for pre-retirees and retirees out of Midtown Atlanta, with households across the United States.

In short

Retirement income planning is the process of deciding how much you can spend each year, in what order you draw down your accounts, and what your backup plan is if markets fall or you live longer than expected. Lock Wealth Management is a fee-only, CFP®-led firm in Midtown Atlanta, and this is the core of what we do, starting at $250/month.

What this actually involves

Decide when work becomes optional

We run your numbers at more than one retirement date, so you can see what waiting one or two years actually does to your income instead of guessing at it.

Set a monthly spending level

We agree on a starting income, then write the rules for when it goes up, when it gets trimmed, and what happens in a bad year — before you need them.

Put your accounts in order

Which money you spend first changes your tax bill, your Medicare premiums, and what is left at the end. We plan the sequence, not just the total.

Test the parts that keep you up at night

A market drop in year one, a spouse outliving you, a health event, a long retirement. We stress the plan against those before you commit to a spending level.

Keep it current as you live it

A plan built at 61 is not the plan you need at 72. Income, taxes, beneficiaries, and healthcare get revisited on a standing schedule, not when something goes wrong.

Who this is for

  • You are within five years of retiring and want a real number for what you can spend.
  • You are already retired and unsure whether you are spending too aggressively or too timidly.
  • Your savings sit in several places — 401(k), Roth, taxable, deferred comp, an annuity — with no clear order for using them.
  • You want something written down that a spouse or your children could follow.

Who this is not for

  • You want someone to chase the best-performing funds for you.
  • You are looking for a one-time product purchase rather than an ongoing relationship.
  • Your situation is mostly a legal dispute or a distressed business sale, where a specialist should lead.
  • You would rather not hear a straight answer about what you can afford.

Hypothetical illustration

A couple in their early 60s with about $2.1 million spread across a 401(k), a Roth IRA, and a taxable account came to us asking whether retiring in three years was realistic. The useful answer was not yes or no. It was that they could retire sooner than they assumed if they used the low-tax years before Social Security began to convert some traditional money, and that the real constraint was the $9,500 a month they wanted to spend — not the account balance.

Illustration only. It does not represent an actual client situation and is not a guarantee of results.

How our fees work

We're paid only by our clients: a flat monthly planning fee, plus an optional asset-based fee for the accounts we manage. No commissions, no product payouts, no revenue sharing.

Foundations

$250/month

Get organized, build a plan, and keep an advisor in your corner.

Comprehensive

$400/month

Broader planning across taxes, estate, and long-term goals.

Business owner

$800/month

Integrated advice across personal and business finances.

Investment management is optional and billed separately as a percentage of the accounts we manage; we walk through it during your proposal meeting. See the full process and fee details.

Questions about retirement income planning

Find out what you can actually spend

A free 15-minute call with Ben Loughery, CFP®, CRPC™. Bring one number — what you hope to spend each month — and we will tell you whether we can help you get there.

Schedule a free 15-minute call

No cost, no obligation, and nothing to sell you at the end of it.