From Marketwatch:
Many retired investors — and those approaching retirement — are confused about how to pay themselves from their portfolios.
They generally want three things: enough retirement income to live comfortably, safety from market meltdowns, and the assurance that they won’t run out of money. The first item is mostly a function of how much they have saved. The second and third are easily attainable.
Let’s look at six common ways that retirees deal with this problem.