How much retirement income should you withdraw?

FALLBROOK – When deciding how much retirement income to withdraw, the answer varies for everyone. Here are some important factors to consider.

The big question: how much is too much? In the first few years of retirement, some couples really “live it up” - and some of them risk spending down their retirement savings. Their portfolios aren’t earning enough to make back the income they’re withdrawing.

Some new retirees may end up withdrawing as much as seven to ten percent of their retirement assets annually. A bull market tends to encourage this kind of exuberance. But what happens when th...