How to Create Secure Income Over a Long Period of Time
A thoughtful approach to a more confident retirement.
By Brian Zellers, CFP® and AAMS® | October 2026
Why a More Predictable Income Matters
While you’re working, market volatility can be uncomfortable. But in retirement, it introduces a different concern: What happens if you need money from your portfolio at the same time the stock market is down?
Having a dependable source of income can help reduce that uncertainty, give you greater confidence, and allow you to focus on the retirement you’ve worked hard to build.
The goal isn’t to eliminate risk, but to create a plan so you’re not reliant on the stock market to meet all of your income needs.
How a Treasury Bond Ladder Can Help
A U.S. Treasury security is essentially money that an investor lends to the federal government for a specified period of time. Treasuries are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest when held to maturity.
Treasuries come with a variety of maturity dates, and some offer regular interest payments along the way.
Rather than purchasing a single Treasury that matures on one date, a bond ladder spreads money across several Treasuries with different maturity dates.
For example, you could purchase Treasuries scheduled to mature in one, two, three, and five years. This creates a schedule in which portions of the portfolio mature at predetermined times, potentially providing more consistent opportunities to access money throughout retirement.
Example Treasury Bond Ladder
Illustrative example only. Actual maturities, yields, prices, and results will vary.
It’s Part of a Bigger Retirement Plan
A Treasury bond ladder is only one piece of the puzzle.
We can coordinate these maturities with other retirement income sources such as Social Security, pensions, required minimum distributions, and investment income.
By aligning these pieces, we can help create an income strategy that considers taxes, manages investment risk, and, most importantly, is designed to support your goals throughout retirement.
Potential Benefits for Retirement Income
High credit quality — U.S. Treasuries are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
Known maturity dates — Know in advance when individual securities are scheduled to mature.
Interest income — Certain Treasury securities provide interest payments while held.
Planned access to your money — Staggered maturities can create predetermined opportunities to access principal.
Less dependence on selling stocks — Having other sources of available funds may reduce the need to sell stocks during a market decline.
The goal isn’t to eliminate risk, but to create a plan so you’re not reliant on the stock market to meet all of your income needs.
Author: Brian Zellers
Published on 10/2/2026
Important Disclosures
This material is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as individualized investment, tax, legal, or financial advice. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest when held to maturity; however, their market value can fluctuate, and selling before maturity may result in a gain or loss. Treasury securities are subject to interest-rate and reinvestment risk. A bond ladder does not guarantee income, investment results, or protection from loss. The bond-ladder example shown is hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only; actual yields, maturities, prices, and results will vary. Any investment strategy should be evaluated based on an investor’s individual financial situation, objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Please consult your financial, tax, and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.