Retirement Income Planning Resource Center | Heits Benefits Group
Retirement Income Planning

Will Your Retirement Income
Last as Long as You Do?

Most people know their account balance. Very few know how much monthly income it will actually produce — or whether it will last 30 years. Take the free Retirement Readiness Score and find out exactly where you stand.

⚡ Get My Retirement Readiness Score Learn the Framework
1 in 3
Americans run out
of retirement savings
50%
Couples at 65 — one
spouse lives past 92
$0
In fees on a properly
structured SPIA annuity
Sample Score Result
67
/100
Needs Attention
Income Preparedness
10/20
Savings Adequacy
13/20
Income Diversification
13/20
Risk Management
8/20
Longevity Planning
11/20
$1,850 / mo
Estimated Foundation Income Gap
Take the Free Assessment →
🏢23 Years as a Franchisor
👥250+ Franchisees Served
🎓PPC® Licensed Advisor
🔓Independent — All Major Carriers
📍Serving Clients Nationwide
The Assessment

Your Retirement Readiness Score

Most retirement assessments give you generic advice. This one gives you a number — scored across five specific dimensions that determine whether your retirement plan will actually hold up.

1

Income Preparedness

The gap between your guaranteed income and your essential expenses — your Foundation Income Gap.

2

Savings Adequacy

Whether your projected savings appear on track relative to your income needs and retirement timeline.

3

Income Diversification

How many distinct income sources you'll have — diversification reduces vulnerability to any single failure point.

4

Risk Management

Coverage for the catastrophic risks — life insurance, disability, long-term care, and emergency reserves.

5

Longevity Planning

Whether your income plan can outlast you — and whether you have guaranteed income beyond Social Security.

Your Score Range

Retirement Ready
Score: 90–100
On Track
Score: 75–89
Needs Attention
Score: 60–74
At Risk
Score: Below 60

After completing the assessment, you'll receive your score, your estimated monthly income gap, and three specific improvement opportunities — plus the option to schedule a Retirement Income Review to go deeper on your numbers.

Take the Assessment — Free, 4 Minutes →
Free Assessment

Know Your Number in 4 Minutes

"Most people know their account balance. Very few know how much monthly income it will actually produce. Those are two very different numbers."

Retirement Readiness Score Assessment Free · Takes 4 Minutes

Assessment results are educational estimates only and do not constitute financial advice. See FAQ for details.

The Freedom Income Framework

5 Decisions That Determine Whether Your Retirement Works

Retirement planning isn't complicated when you know the right order of operations. These five decisions, made in sequence, create a mathematically sound retirement — not one held together by hope.

01
Build Your Foundation Income
Guaranteed income that covers essential expenses every month — regardless of what markets do. Social Security, pension, income annuities.
›
02
Protect Against a Long Life
A couple at 65 has a 50% chance one spouse lives past 92. Longevity insurance ensures your income can't be outlived.
›
03
Don't Let Taxes Steal the Last Chapter
Most people retire 90% in tax-deferred accounts. RMDs at 73 can force higher brackets. Plan while rates are known.
›
04
Transfer the Catastrophic Risks
Life insurance, long-term care, and disability income — risks that are simply too large for any portfolio to absorb alone.
›
05
Free Your Freedom Income to Grow
Once the Foundation is set, your portfolio can take appropriate risk and compound — without the emotional pressure of funding essentials.
›

Foundation vs. Freedom

🏛 Foundation Income

Guaranteed income that covers essential expenses every month — no matter what.

Social Security · Pension · Income Annuity

🎯 Freedom Income

Investment portfolio funds your lifestyle. Can fluctuate — because the essentials are covered.

401(k) · IRA · Brokerage · Part-time income

"Build the Foundation first. Then optimize for Freedom. Most advisors do this backwards." — Dave Heitner

📘 Download the Full Blueprint →
Educational Video Series

The Freedom Income Framework — Video Series

Five short videos. One per Decision. Watch at your own pace — or share with a spouse before your first conversation.

01
4 min Coming Soon
Module 01 · Foundation Income
How Much Income Will You Really Need in Retirement?
Most people guess. We calculate. Learn how to find your essential expense number and your actual income gap.
● Video coming soon — check back shortly
02
5 min Coming Soon
Module 02 · Income Sources
Where Will Your Retirement Paycheck Come From?
Social Security, 401(k), annuities, pensions — understanding which income sources are guaranteed and which are not.
● Video coming soon — check back shortly
03
4 min Coming Soon
Module 03 · Market Risk
Why Your Portfolio Is the Wrong Tool for This Job
Sequence-of-returns risk can permanently damage a portfolio that was sized correctly. Here's what that means and how to prevent it.
● Video coming soon — check back shortly
04
5 min Coming Soon
Module 04 · Guaranteed Income
How Do You Create Guaranteed Lifetime Income?
What mortality credits are, why SPIAs have no fees, and how a DIA can fund your 'care years' for a fraction of the cost.
● Video coming soon — check back shortly
05
4 min Coming Soon
Module 05 · Longevity
The One Risk Nobody Talks About in Retirement
It's not the market. The #1 retirement risk is outliving your money. Here's the math behind longevity and what to do about it.
● Video coming soon — check back shortly
📊
Private Presentation
The Freedom Income Framework™ — Full 45-Minute Presentation
Book a private session with Dave at FranchiseBenefits to walk through the complete framework — with real numbers from your own situation and time for Q&A.
Book Time with FranchiseBenefits →
Free Downloads

The Retirement Income Resource Library

Practical guides you can read, save, and share. No fluff, no product pitches — just the information you need to make better retirement decisions.

📘
Free Download · 11 Pages
The Retirement Income Blueprint
Covers Social Security optimization, guaranteed income strategies, the three tax buckets, risk transfer, the 7 biggest retirement income mistakes, and the Freedom Income Framework in plain language.
11 pages · PDF · Instant download
🔒 Name & email required — download starts immediately
📋
Coming Soon · Worksheet
The Retirement Income Gap Worksheet
A fillable, branded worksheet that walks you through calculating your Foundation Income Gap step by step — Essential expenses, guaranteed income sources, and the gap that needs to be closed.
4 pages · PDF · Fillable
🔔 Enter your email to be notified at launch
⚠
Coming Soon · Guide
The 7 Biggest Retirement Income Mistakes
A concise guide covering the seven most common — and most costly — retirement income mistakes, including taking Social Security too early, ignoring LTC risk, and treating the portfolio as the income plan.
6 pages · PDF · Quick read
🔔 Enter your email to be notified at launch
Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About Retirement Income Planning

Have a question not answered here? Schedule a free 15-minute call and ask directly.

No — and anyone who tells you otherwise isn't being straight with you. Annuities solve a specific problem: the risk of outliving guaranteed income. If your Social Security and pension fully cover your essential expenses, an annuity may not be necessary. The assessment will tell you whether you have an income gap that warrants one.
This is one of the most persistent misconceptions in financial planning. SPIAs, DIAs, and MYGAs — the income annuities most often used to fund Foundation Income — have zero management fees. Variable annuities do carry fees, which is why they're typically the wrong tool for income planning. The right income annuity is not a fee product.
Most income annuities offer return-of-premium provisions or survivor benefits that protect against this scenario. More importantly: the job of an annuity is to fund your life, not your estate. Life insurance handles the estate. These are different tools for different jobs — and designing both correctly means you don't have to choose between protecting your family and maximizing your income.
The score is a directional assessment based on simplified models and self-reported information — not a certified financial plan. Its job is to identify which of the five retirement dimensions need attention, and to give you a meaningful number to discuss with an advisor. For a precise analysis based on your actual statements and full financial picture, schedule the 45-minute Retirement Income Review.
Absolutely. Many people who take the assessment are already working with an advisor — but haven't specifically asked about their Foundation Income Gap, their tax-deferred exposure, or their LTC strategy. The score is a useful second opinion. If your advisor has addressed all five dimensions and you're scoring well, that's confirmation you're on track. If not, it's a useful conversation to have.
It's a 45-minute working session — not a sales presentation. We'll use your assessment results as the starting point, calculate your exact income gap with real numbers, model your tax exposure from future RMDs, and review your protection coverage. You'll leave with a written action plan. There's no obligation and no pressure to work with us.
DH
Dave Heitner
PPC® · Licensed Advisor
✓FranchiseBenefits LLC
✓Heits Benefits Group
✓Former Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch
✓23 years as a working franchisor
✓Built Heits Building Services to 250+ franchisees
✓Inc. 5000 honoree · Fox Business featured
✓Independent — all major carriers
"Built by a Franchisor.
For People Who've Earned This."
Why Work With Dave

Math and Science,
Not Opinion

I spent 23 years as a franchisor before transitioning to financial planning. I've sat across from hundreds of business owners navigating the same financial uncertainties you're facing now. My approach is built on actuarial math, not advisor opinion — and on 23 years of knowing what it actually costs to build something worth protecting.

🏢
Operating Experience
I built a business, ran payroll, worried about business value concentration, and planned my own exit. That's not something you can learn from a textbook.
🔢
Math, Not Opinions
Every recommendation is grounded in actuarial research and contractual guarantees. Mortality credits are real. The income gap is calculable. The tax bill from RMDs is provable.
🏛
Foundation First
We build guaranteed income before touching the investment portfolio. Most advisors reverse this — and it's the single most common retirement planning error.
🔓
Truly Independent
No captive carrier relationships. Access to dozens of carriers across annuities, life, LTC, and disability. You get the best solution for your situation — not the one I'm captive to.

Ready to Close Your
Retirement Income Gap?

Your retirement is too important to leave to opinion. Let's build your plan on math, guarantees, and clarity — starting with your score.

→Calculate your exact Foundation Income gap
→Identify which of the 5 Decisions apply to you
→Model your RMD tax exposure
→Review your protection coverage
→Leave with a written action plan
→No obligation — ever
⚡ Take the Free Assessment 📅 Schedule a 45-Minute Review

Dave Heitner · Heits Benefits Group · FranchiseBenefits LLC · Licensed Insurance & Benefits Professional