Retirement Gap Analysis
Retirement isn't a number — it's a monthly cash flow. Here's how to see whether yours actually works.
What a gap analysis really is
Simple math: total monthly income minus total monthly expenses. If income is higher, you have a surplus. If expenses are higher, you have a gap — and the gap has to come from savings, and savings have to last 25–30 years.
Income side — count what's guaranteed first
- Social Security (yours and spouse)
- Pensions
- Annuity payments
- Rental income (net, not gross)
- Part-time work you're actually willing to do at 75
Everything else — IRA withdrawals, dividends, brokerage — is variable. Treat it that way.
Expense side — where people underestimate
- Healthcare & Medicare supplements — often $500–$900/mo per person
- Taxes — RMDs and Social Security are taxable income
- Home upkeep — roof, HVAC, one big thing every 5 years
- Travel and family — the fun years cost more, not less
- Long-term care — the risk no one wants to price
You're $800/month short
$800 a month is $9,600 a year. Over 25 years of retirement that's $240,000 out of savings — before inflation. That's the difference between "I might be fine" and "I need a plan."
Ask Ebby to look at your gap
Tell me your rough monthly income and expenses. I'll tell you what the gap looks like and where most retirees find the easiest fixes — no products, no sales pressure, no obligation.
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