Income Lab vs. RightCapital

RightCapital and Income Lab are both full retirement planning platforms, and both use the word guardrails. The difference is what the word delivers: a spending strategy inside a Monte Carlo plan, or a specific monthly number with continuous monitoring that says exactly when and how much to adjust.

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

8.7/10 Advisor Satisfaction (Kitces 2025)

Two platforms. Two kinds of guardrails.

Both platforms build complete retirement plans, and both offer guardrails. RightCapital added guardrails in 2021 as a spending strategy modeled inside its Monte Carlo engine. Income Lab built the entire platform on a risk-based guardrails methodology: plan building, taxes, Social Security, and income strategy live in one connected workflow that monitors every plan as markets move.

RightCapital's Approach

Guardrails as a spending strategy

"Your client has an 82% chance of success."

Monte Carlo probability of success anchors the plan
Guardrails arrived in 2021 as one of several spending strategies inside the simulation
Adjustments follow portfolio withdrawal rates, and clients still hear a percentage when markets move
Broad planning suite covering accumulation, insurance, and budgeting

Income Lab's Approach

Guardrails as the planning engine

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

Risk-based guardrails give clients a specific spending number
When markets move, the plan tells you exactly when and how much to adjust
Continuous monitoring replaces periodic rebuilds
Tax planning, Roth conversions, Social Security, and annuities built into the same plan

Feature comparison

Capability	Income Lab	RightCapital
Specific spending recommendation "How much can I spend?" answered with a dollar amount	✓	Probability %
Risk-based guardrails Guardrails set by the client's actual risk of a future adjustment, not a portfolio withdrawal rate	✓	Withdrawal-rate strategy
Continuous plan monitoring Every plan checked automatically, with alerts that say exactly when and how much to adjust	✓	✗
Income sourcing Shows where every dollar comes from across accounts	✓	Limited
Roth conversion modeling Optimal conversion analysis with IRMAA awareness	✓	✓
Tax-aware withdrawal sequencing Bracket management and withdrawal ordering	✓	✓
Full retirement planning Plan building, taxes, Social Security, annuities, and stress testing from accumulation through distribution	✓	✓
Plan building from any file Meeting notes, transcripts, or statements become a client-ready plan in minutes	✓	✗
Client portal Client-facing dashboard for engagement	✓	✓
Estate planning Estate analysis and planning tools	Analysis through Penny	✓
Insurance analysis Life, disability, and long-term care modeling	✗	✓
Retirement income engineered in, not bolted on The plan is built around the income question from day one	✓	Spending strategies added 2021
In-meeting answers (Penny) Roth conversions, IRMAA, Social Security, and estate questions answered live, with verified math and cited sources	Pulls the client's actual plan	AI assistant (limited scope)
Verified math behind every answer Deterministic calculation engines do the arithmetic, never a language model	Verify button on every Penny response	Not applicable
Practice Intelligence AI that mines your client base for planning opportunities	Mines client base for planning opportunities	Business dashboards (RightIntel)
IRMAA appeal calculator Medicare surcharge appeal with SSA-44 form generation	Monthly precision; generates SSA-44 instructions	Not available
Starts at	$199/month	$149.95/month
Trial offer	Free 14-day trial	Free 14-day trial

Switching platforms is never an overnight decision. Run Income Lab alongside RightCapital during the transition; there is nothing to cancel on day one.

What advisors gain with Income Lab

"How much can I spend?"

Every client asks this question. A Monte Carlo plan answers with a probability score. Income Lab answers with a specific monthly number: "You can spend $7,200/month." That clarity changes the entire conversation. See how Retirement GPS works.

Guardrails that do the monitoring

RightCapital models guardrails as a withdrawal-rate spending strategy inside a Monte Carlo plan. Income Lab's risk-based guardrails monitor every plan continuously and tell you exactly when to adjust and by how much. No annual plan rebuild. No client anxiety. 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 RightCapital?

Start without disrupting your practice. Run both platforms while you transition, and let your client meetings decide where the plans live.

Import client data in minutes

Connect your custodian and pull in client data directly. No manual re-entry from RightCapital.

Run both during the transition

Keep RightCapital active while your plans move over. Most advisors start with a handful of households and expand from there.

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 RightCapital?

Yes. Most advisors run both platforms during a transition rather than switching overnight. Income Lab imports client data directly from your custodian, so there is no migration project to schedule. Start with a few households and expand as your plans move over.

How is Income Lab's guardrails approach different from RightCapital's?

RightCapital offers guardrails as a spending strategy modeled inside a Monte Carlo plan, with adjustments tied to portfolio withdrawal rates. Income Lab's risk-based guardrails are the planning engine itself: every client gets a specific monthly spending number, every plan is monitored continuously, and when a guardrail is crossed the platform tells you exactly when and how much to adjust.

What does Income Lab do that RightCapital doesn't?

Income Lab monitors every plan continuously and turns market moves into specific dollar adjustments instead of a refreshed probability score. Penny answers Roth conversion, IRMAA, Social Security, and estate questions during the meeting with verified math and cited sources. Income Lab also builds client-ready plans from meeting notes, transcripts, or statements in minutes.

What does RightCapital do that Income Lab doesn't?

RightCapital offers insurance analysis plus deeper budgeting and account aggregation tools for accumulation-stage households. Income Lab covers plan building, tax planning, Roth conversions, Social Security optimization, annuities, and retirement income strategy in one platform. If your practice centers on insurance analysis, RightCapital keeps an edge there.

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.

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