10/27/2026
One of the biggest retirement mistakes I see is assuming every financial decision is really an investment decision.
Often, it isn't.
It's an income decision.
I recently shared my perspective in an article about a woman whose advisor suggested taking her pension as a lump sum instead of waiting for a guaranteed monthly benefit.
The question wasn't simply:
"Should she take the money?"
The better question was:
"What creates the greatest confidence throughout retirement?"
That's because retirement isn't funded by account balances.
It's funded by income.
A portfolio can grow.
A pension can provide certainty.
Neither is automatically better.
The right answer depends on your health, your retirement needs, your other income sources, your spouse, your longevity expectations, and your comfort with investment risk.
One thing I always encourage people to remember is this:
Reliable income provides something investment accounts cannot always provide.
Predictability.
That doesn't mean every pension should be kept.
And it doesn't mean every lump sum should be rejected.
It means every recommendation deserves context.
If someone suggests moving a pension into an investment account, ask:
- Why?
- What assumptions are being made?
- What would I be giving up?
- How does this improve my retirement income, not just my portfolio?
The goal isn't to build the biggest account.
It's to build the greatest confidence in the years ahead.
That's what retirement planning should always come back to.
Read the full article here:
https://lnkd.in/gUnFqmxz