Most people don’t realize they’re following a Survival Plan when they approach retirement. It’s the traditional method — save as much as you can, retire, and draw down your savings slowly in the hope it lasts the rest of your life.

The problem? This entire approach is built on consuming your capital to live.

And because your capital is finite, there’s always a risk of running out — no matter how much you’ve saved. That one flaw creates a ripple effect of fear and limitation:

• You hesitate to spend in case the market drops.
  
  

• You scale back your lifestyle to make your money last.
  
  

• You’re left wondering if your retirement dreams are affordable — or irresponsible.
  

This is why so many retirees live with financial anxiety, even when they’ve “done everything right.”

At Virtus, we believe there’s a better way — and we call it the Possibility Plan.

It’s designed to eliminate the risk of running out of money by using just a portion of your wealth to create guaranteed income for life. That frees up the rest of your money to be used for growth, legacy, and most importantly — choice.

When fear is replaced with certainty, you don’t just survive retirement. You thrive in it.

The 5 Pillars of Retirement – Side by Side Comparison

1. Replace It – Creating Income for Life

Why it matters:
Retirement is no longer about saving a pile of money. It’s about turning that money into consistent, reliable income.

Survival Plan:
You withdraw a small percentage (usually around 2.8%) from your savings each year. This makes you incredibly conservative with spending, always fearing that one bad market year could derail your retirement.

Possibility Plan:
You use a portion of your capital to create guaranteed lifetime income that replaces your paycheck. This income never runs out, regardless of market performance.

✅ With your income secure, the rest of your money is free to grow, enjoy, or leave behind.
✅ You stop living in fear of running out of money — and start living.

2. Leave It – Your Legacy

Why it matters:
Most people want to leave something behind. But without the right plan, your children may inherit more taxes than wealth.

Survival Plan:
Your children inherit whatever is left — often from traditional accounts that trigger major tax consequences. You’re constantly deciding between spending and preserving.

Possibility Plan:
You structure your legacy intentionally, using strategies like tax-free life insurance and the Transition to Tax-Free Strategy. This allows you to spend with confidence and still leave more behind — tax-free.

✅ You don’t sacrifice lifestyle for legacy — you achieve both.

3. Protect It – Defend Your Wealth from Threats

Why it matters:
Markets crash. Taxes rise. Health events happen. If your wealth isn’t protected, your future is exposed.

Survival Plan:
You’re fully exposed to market volatility, RMDs, Social Security taxation, and inflation. Even your own spending becomes a threat to your retirement security.

Possibility Plan:
You build protection into your plan — including market downside protection, tax-efficient strategies, and income certainty.

✅ What you protect isn’t just preserved — it becomes a fuel for further growth and peace of mind.

4. Grow It – Compounding Wealth Without Risk

Why it matters:
Your retirement assets should continue to grow — not be slowly depleted.

Survival Plan:
Because your capital is your income, you’re forced to take a conservative approach to growth. This limits your compounding potential and increases your reliance on luck.

Possibility Plan:
Because your income is already secured, you can separate your growth capital from your living expenses. This allows your wealth to compound more aggressively, and in the right conditions, even use your gains to create more income or further investment.

✅ You get the full benefit of compounding, without the fear of volatility.

5. Enjoy It – Freedom to Live the Life You Want

Why it matters:
Retirement isn’t just about surviving. It’s about living — traveling, giving, experiencing, and thriving.

Survival Plan:
Every decision is filtered through fear: "Will this deplete my savings too quickly?" It becomes a balancing act between guilt and hesitation.

Possibility Plan:
You allocate money specifically for enjoyment — and you know your lifestyle is secure, regardless of what the market does.

✅ With income certainty and growth working in your favor, retirement becomes something to be experienced fully — not feared.

The Compounding Impact of Your Plan

Every element of your retirement strategy compounds.

With the Survival Plan, that compounding works against you:
➡️ Small withdrawals
➡️ Growing uncertainty
➡️ Limited lifestyle
➡️ Tax surprises
➡️ Shrinking legacy

With the Possibility Plan, compounding works for you:
✅ Guaranteed income
✅ Strategic tax savings
✅ Continued growth
✅ Confidence in spending
✅ A bigger, tax-free legacy

The Bottom Line

Retirement success is not about how much money you’ve saved. It’s about how well that money is structured to support the life you want.

A Survival Plan limits your choices.
A Possibility Plan expands them.

If your current strategy is built around consuming capital, you’re playing defense. The Possibility Plan is how you play offense — with purpose, protection, and peace of mind.

Want to See the Difference for Yourself?

We’ll show you exactly how your current plan compares to a Possibility Plan in a free, no-obligation session:

✅ What risks are built into your current strategy?
✅ How much more could you protect, grow, and leave behind?
✅ What would life look like if your income was guaranteed for life?

👉 [Click here to book your Possibility Planning Session]

The choice is simple: survive retirement or thrive in it.