Income Lab vs. Income Conductor

Q: What does Income Lab do that Income Conductor doesn't?

Income Lab gives clients a specific spending number and uses guardrails that tell you exactly when and how to adjust that number. This turns a distribution strategy into an ongoing, self-monitoring planning relationship.

Income Conductor and Income Lab both help advisors build retirement income plans. The difference is methodology: Income Conductor uses time-segmented income planning, while Income Lab uses guardrails that give clients a specific spending number and adjust automatically when life changes.

#1 Retirement Distribution Tool, 3 years running (T3)

8.7/10 Advisor Satisfaction (Kitces 2025)

The fundamental difference

Income Conductor and Income Lab both serve the retirement distribution space. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right tool for your practice.

Income Conductor's Approach

Time-segmented income planning

"Give your client a plan, not a probability."

Builds year-by-year income plans using time-segmented methodology
Tax liquidation ordering, Roth conversion analysis, and RMD projections
Uses a deterministic planning framework rather than guardrails
Plan tracking dashboard and practice alerts on Premium and Pro tiers

Income Lab's Approach

Complete retirement income planning

"Your client can spend $7,200/month. Here's what changes if markets drop."

Starts with withdrawal sequencing and adds guardrails on top
Gives clients a specific spending number they can act on
Continuous monitoring replaces periodic rebuilds
Client-facing outputs that drive better conversations

Feature comparison

Capability	Income Lab	Income Conductor
Withdrawal sequencing Tax-efficient distribution ordering across accounts	✓	✓
Guardrail-based monitoring Upper and lower guardrails that trigger automatic spending adjustments	✓	✗
Specific spending amount "How much can I spend?" answered with a dollar amount	✓	✗
Plan tracking and alerts Ongoing plan surveillance with alerts when action is needed	✓	Premium & Pro
Tax-smart distribution Bracket management and withdrawal ordering	✓	✓
Income sourcing Shows where every dollar comes from across accounts	✓	✓
Client-facing reports Personalized deliverables for client conversations	✓	✓
Roth conversion modeling Optimal conversion analysis with IRMAA awareness	✓	Pro
Purpose-built for distribution Designed specifically for retirement income, not bolted on	✓	✓
Annuity modeling Model annuity contracts, income streams, and purchase scenarios	✗	Pro
AI paraplanner (Penny) AI assistant covering tax, Medicare, estate, Social Security, and retirement planning	Full AI paraplanner covering tax, Medicare, estate, SS, retirement	No AI planning tools
Verifiable AI (no hallucinated math) Deterministic calculation engines with AI verification	Deterministic engines for calculations; AI for classification and explanation. Verify button on every response.	Not applicable
Practice Intelligence AI that mines your client base for planning opportunities	Mines client base for planning opportunities	Not available
IRMAA appeal calculator Medicare surcharge appeal with SSA-44 form generation	Monthly precision; generates SSA-44 instructions	Not available
Starts at	$199/month	$50/month
Trial offer	Free 14-day trial	14-day free trial (after demo)
Contract requirement	Monthly billing available	1-year contract

Both tools serve the retirement distribution space with different methodologies. Income Conductor uses time-segmented planning; Income Lab uses guardrails-based planning with a specific spending number. The right choice depends on your planning philosophy.

What advisors gain with Income Lab

"How much can I spend?"

Every client asks this question. Income Conductor builds a year-by-year income plan showing where money comes from. Income Lab goes a step further, giving clients a specific monthly number: "You can spend $7,200/month." That clarity changes the entire conversation. See how Retirement GPS works.

Guardrails, not guesswork

When markets move, plans need updating. Income Conductor offers plan tracking and alerts on Premium and Pro tiers. Income Lab's guardrails go further, telling you exactly when to adjust spending and by how much, automatically. The plan watches itself. Learn about our methodology.

Where every dollar comes from

Roth conversions, Social Security timing, withdrawal sequencing, bracket management. Income Lab shows clients exactly where their retirement income originates and why each source matters. Explore Tax Lab.

Already using Income Conductor?

You don't need to cancel anything. Most advisors run Income Lab alongside their current tool during the transition.

Get started in minutes

Set up integrations or upload client data with AI Plan Builder. No manual re-entry.

Run both tools side by side

Keep Income Conductor for time-segmented planning. Add Income Lab for guardrails-based planning and a specific spending number.

Dedicated onboarding support

We walk you through setup and your first client plan so you're producing results in days, not weeks.

Free 14-day trial. Full Pro access.

No commitment. Monthly billing available after trial. Cancel anytime.

Common Questions

Can I use Income Lab alongside Income Conductor?

Yes. The two tools use different methodologies (time-segmented vs. guardrails-based) and some advisors find them complementary during a transition or for different client needs.

What does Income Lab do that Income Conductor doesn't?

Income Lab gives clients a specific spending number ("You can spend $7,200/month") and uses guardrails that tell you exactly when and how to adjust that number. This turns a distribution strategy into an ongoing, self-monitoring planning relationship.

What does Income Conductor do that Income Lab doesn't?

Income Conductor uses a time-segmented income planning methodology with year-by-year income plans, annuity modeling, and healthcare cost projections. Social Security optimization is available via their Health+ add-on ($25/mo) on any tier or included in Pro. Pro also adds RMD projections and Roth conversion analysis. If you prefer a deterministic, segment-based approach to retirement income, Income Conductor is built around that philosophy.

How much does Income Lab cost?

Income Lab Core is $199/month ($1,990/year, saving 2 months free) and Pro is $299/month ($2,990/year). Start with a free 14-day trial with full Pro access. Monthly billing available.

Is there a trial offer?

Yes. Start with a free 14-day trial with full Pro access. Cancel anytime during the trial.

What integrations does Income Lab support?

Direct integrations with Schwab, Fidelity, Orion, Black Diamond, Redtail, and other major custodians and portfolio management platforms. Data imports take minutes.

See the difference in 20 minutes

Bring a client scenario. We'll model it live and show you exactly what Income Lab would tell that client.

Free 14-day trial. Full Pro access. Cancel anytime.

Loading available times...

Protected by Cloudflare.
Privacy Policy | Terms.