No doubt you have seen the acronym ROI, for return on investment. In Distribution Land, however, ROI stands for reliability of income. The conventional investment wisdom that may have served you well during your wage-earning years should be replaced with a more mature wisdom befitting this stage of life. You have a lot more to consider besides just the return you can get.

What you need is what many people lack: a written plan that forecasts retirement income and expenses to project how your savings can support your spending so that you can make intelligent decisions.

And you need to talk through what you envision for retirement—where do you want to be, why do you want to be there, who do you want to be there with. How do you feel about being retired? Do you have any concerns or fears? A retirement plan isn’t just about managing money. It has to coordinate your money with your life.

Let’s say that sitting in front of you is a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Where would you start? Most say on the edges or the corners. But what if you started with the picture on the cover of the box? Why? Because until you know what that picture looks like, all you’re doing is moving pieces around with no goal in mind.

Creating a unique plan requires finding the right balance of hopes and dreams, the desired lifestyle, and the income needed to support it. It requires investing for a target income while still commanding a return that beats inflation. Determine whether they are being realistic. If your asset base is relatively modest, you cannot take lavish vacations, support multiple charities, help all your children, play golf daily, and still have enough income for the rest of your life.

Need some advice and guidance? Go to www.distributionland.com for a free chapter of my book Distribution Land: A Retiree’s Survival Manual for Transitioning to a World of New Rules & Unexpected Dangers.