Could ETFs Be Your Key to a Worry-Free Retirement?

Retirement might bring to mind some images of relaxation by the beach, traveling to a bucket-list destination, or spending more time with your grandkids. No matter your vision of the future, the one thing all retirees have in common is a need for a stable income. 

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have emerged as a powerful tool for retirees who want to generate reliable income while managing risk and maintaining flexibility. This guide will explain how to leverage ETFs to build a robust—and reliable—retirement income portfolio. 

Understanding ETFs

ETFs are investment funds that trade on stock exchanges, much like stocks. The difference is that ETFs hold a basket of assets, including stocks, bonds, or commodities. These funds aim to track the performance of a specific index (like the S&P 500), a sector, or a particular investment strategy. This structure provides built-in diversification, spreading your investment across numerous underlying assets. ETFs are highly tradable and built-in diversification.

Benefits of Using ETFs for Retirement Income

ETFs offer several compelling advantages for retirees seeking income. 

The first is that they are inherently diversified, holding a variety of assets, reducing the risk associated with investing in individual securities. For instance, a broad market ETF tracking the S&P 500 offers exposure to the performance of 500 of the largest U.S. companies across various sectors.

Similarly, a broad-based bond ETF can hold hundreds or even thousands of different bonds with varying maturities and credit qualities. This inherent diversification helps to smooth out portfolio returns and reduce volatility, which is particularly important for retirees relying on their investments for income.

Another benefit of using ETFs is that they generally have lower expense ratios than actively managed mutual funds, meaning more of your investment returns stay in your pocket. Expense ratios represent the annual fees charged to operate the fund. Even seemingly minor differences in expense ratios can substantially impact your long-term returns, especially over the multi-decade horizon of retirement.

ETFs also have lots of flexibility. They can be bought and sold throughout the trading day, making them more liquid than other investments.

“When selling ETFs, you can choose exactly which shares of the ETF you want to sell,” said David Rae, a Los Angeles- and Palm Springs-based financial planner and president of DRM Wealth Management. “In your taxable investment accounts, this can help you minimize the capital gains taxes you owe by strategically selling shares depending on your overall income and your expected realized gains for the year.” 

Types of Income-Generating ETFs

Dividend ETFs

Dividend ETFs hold stocks of companies that regularly pay dividends. The ETF collects and distributes these dividends to shareholders, providing a consistent income stream. 

According to Mark Fonville, CFP, president and CEO of Covenant Wealth Advisors, it’s a good idea to start with broadly diversified value-company ETFs in addition to a total stock market ETF. 

“Value companies not only tend to pay higher dividends than growth stocks, but history shows they’ve outperformed over long time horizons, though not every year,” he said. “They can serve as a steady source of equity income while offering long-term growth potential.” 

Bond ETFs

Bond ETFs invest in various types of bonds, such as government, corporate, or municipal bonds. The regular interest payments from the underlying bonds can provide a more predictable income stream. 

“High-quality, short- to intermediate-term bonds can act as a buffer during stock market downturns and help manage what we call ‘sequence of return risk’—the danger of withdrawing money during a down market early in retirement,” Fonville said. This is critical because poor early returns can significantly reduce a retirement portfolio’s length.

REIT ETFs

Real estate investment trust (REIT) ETFs invest in companies that own, operate, and finance income-producing real estate. These ETFs are appealing mainly because they can offer attractive dividend yields and provide diversification into the real estate sector. Still, Fonville advises that although REITs can spice up the portfolio, they shouldn’t be the main course. 

Building a Retirement Income Portfolio With ETFs

Asset Allocation Strategies 

Balancing income generation with your risk tolerance and time horizon requires a well-defined asset allocation strategy. 

“An ETF’s real value lies in how it strengthens the overall portfolio, not in how large its headline dividend looks,” Fonville said. He advocates for building a thoughtfully diversified blend of stock and bond ETFs where the long-term expected total return comfortably exceeds your anticipated withdrawal rate.

Rae added that your ETF portfolio can work well without overcomplicating it. “You can cover the entire stock market with just a few ETFs,” he said. “A bit of diversification around the globe is still wise, and owning a few different ETFs can give you more flexibility to generate income tax efficiently when you need to sell some shares.” 

Risk Management 

Diversifying across asset classes and sectors within your ETF portfolio is a risk management tool. 

Another tip from Fonville is to avoid chasing those with the fattest yield. “Many high-payout ETFs achieve that income by loading up on concentrated sectors, lower-quality bonds, or extra leverage,” he said. “Those hidden risks can turn a ‘safe’ 6 % dividend into an uncomfortable loss of principal just when a retiree needs steady cash flow.” 

Tax Considerations

Understanding the tax implications of income generated from ETFs is vital for maximizing your after-tax retirement income. Income from ETFs can come in the form of dividends (taxed as ordinary income or qualified dividends, depending on the holding period and the underlying stocks), interest (taxed as ordinary income), and capital gains (taxed at different rates depending on the holding period).

Strategically holding different types of ETFs in various account types (e.g., tax-deferred accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, as well as taxable brokerage accounts) can significantly impact your tax liability. For instance, holding bond ETFs that generate ordinary income in tax-deferred accounts can be advantageous. 

Rae notes that the ability to selectively sell specific ETF shares in taxable accounts offers a valuable tool for managing capital gains taxes. Consulting with a qualified tax advisor is highly recommended to develop a tax-efficient ETF investment strategy tailored to your individual circumstances.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Retirees should be vigilant in avoiding common pitfalls that can undermine their ETF-based income strategy. A frequent and costly mistake that Rae sees is not giving your investments enough time. Impatience for high immediate income can lead to retirees making impulsive decisions, such as chasing unsustainable yields or selling investments prematurely during market downturns, thereby locking in losses.

Other common mistakes include:

• Poor diversification: Although ETFs offer diversification, relying on only one or two types of income-generating ETFs (e.g., only high-yield bond ETFs or only dividend ETFs in a single sector) can expose you to unnecessary risk.
• Chasing high yields: As Fonville warned, focusing solely on ETFs with the highest dividend yields can lead to investing in riskier assets.
• Ignoring expense ratios: While generally low, ETF expense ratios can vary, and higher fees can erode your long-term returns, especially when compounded over many years in retirement.
• Not understanding underlying holdings: It is crucial to go beyond the ETF’s ticker symbol and understand its specific assets, the index it tracks (if any), and the overall investment strategy it employs.
• Underestimating longevity risk: Retirees need to ensure their income strategy can sustain them throughout their retirement years.

The Bottom Line

ETFs provide a versatile and efficient way for retirees to generate a reliable income stream. By understanding the different types of income-generating ETFs, implementing sound asset allocation and risk management strategies, and being mindful of tax considerations and common pitfalls (including not giving your investments enough time, as Rae cautioned), retirees can build a robust portfolio to support their financial well-being throughout their retirement years. 

The key is to focus on building a well-balanced portfolio where each ETF plays a strategic role in achieving your income goals. “Focus on the role each ETF plays inside a balanced cast, and let the ensemble, not a single soloist, carry the show,” Fonville said.