Many financial professionals rely on the 4% rule to generate retirement income, but a more personalized strategy — one that accounts for each client's unique income protection needs — may lead to greater client satisfaction. Total Retirement Income Planning explores alternative strategies that can enhance client relationships.
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About Nationwide Retirement Institute
Total Retirement Income Planning
Why Total Retirement Income Planning matters
Clients approaching retirement are faced with a mountain of decisions. They are counting on their financial professional to help them manage the transition to retirement, including retirement income planning.
The Total Retirement Income Planning program will help you deliver on four primary client expectations:
- Income-focused planning: How much income will I need to support my unique view of retirement?
- Personalized income protection: What level of protected lifetime income do I need to keep me from worrying whether I can cover my essential expenses?
- Social Security optimization: How can I get the most from my retirement benefits, even if there are future cuts?
- Identify common spending shocks: Can you help protect me from major income disruptions such as unplanned medical expenses or major home repairs?
Whereas savers are focused on diversification and growth, many retirees shift their focus to income. Total Retirement Income Planning takes into account a client's unique income needs and wants for a more personalized approach. A guaranteed income stream above and beyond Social Security benefits can help retirees feel confident and resilient against life's unexpected spending shocks.
Develop a personalized retirement income approach
Research by Alejandro Murguia and Wade Pfau determined that continuing a pre-retirement, investments-centric strategy when it’s time to generate retirement income resonates with only about a third of the retirement-age population.1
Read Wade Pfau's white paper about uncovering a client's unique preferences. (PDF)
2 out of 3
clients may be in search of a different investing strategy when it comes to generating retirement income
Why turn to Nationwide® as a trusted resource?
Experienced financial professionals surround themselves with go-to specialists. You can turn to Nationwide when a client presents unique problems that you may not have faced before. With the support of the Nationwide Retirement Institute®, we offer:
Timely and trusted insights
Our proprietary research helps identify key client problems. This study, for example, examines the differences in experiences and expectations between retirees and soon-to-be retirees.
Valuable expertise
Turn to our credentialed retirement specialists regarding:
- Retirement topic consultation
- Complex case consultation
- Access to experienced industry professionals
- No-cost access to continuing education
Industry-leading tools
We help you provide greater personalization through tools that use client-specific input:
Check out our videos
Increase client loyalty by developing personalized retirement income plans that can help improve both financial confidence and retirement satisfaction.
Kick-start the client conversation with My Retirement Vision BoardSM
Our fun and engaging experience is a great way to launch a personalized income planning discussion. In about five minutes, your client can give you a strong starting point for discussing strategies to protect what matters most in their retirement.
It identifies what each client considers to be the essential expenses they need to cover with their retirement income. When working with couples, ask both clients to take the quiz. The retirement each envisions may be very different, and that’s valuable information for you to know.
For more information about Total Retirement Income Planning, view our many resources.
[1] "Evaluating retirement income strategies for defined contribution plans," Treichel, Bonnie and Shawn O'Brien, Broadridge (2025). https://www.broadridge.com/_assets/pdf/evaluating-retirement-income-strategies-for-defined-contribution-plans.pdf
Guarantees and protections are subject to the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.