I got experience as trustee for my mother starting about 15 years until she passed. I learned there is nothing more unsettling for a relatively conservative investor than spending down the assets you have accumulated over a lifetime. I built her a very strong high quality dividend stock portfolio along with using some government bonds and income funds. It served her very well and she lived off the income while it continued appreciating for her heirs (my siblings and I). When she passed it was carved up 4 ways and while we have each done some tweaking over the last 4 years in each of our portfolios it has continued to perform well. She would never believe what its grown to become