For 15 years, Greg Piorkowski has helped Kalamazoo retirees turn a lifetime of savings into guaranteed monthly income. The kind of paycheck that keeps showing up whether the market is up, down, or upside down.
Most retirees lose sleep over the same three things. The good news: every one of them has a solution that doesn't require gambling with the money you spent your life earning.
It’s the #1 fear in retirement, and it makes sense. Social Security covers maybe a third of what most couples actually spend. Watching a 401(k) tick down every month feels like a candle burning at both ends. And nobody tells you when it goes out.
Ask anyone who retired in 2008. A 30% drop in your first year of retirement can cut a decade off how long your savings last, even if the market fully recovers. The math is brutal, and most people never see it coming.
You worked 40 years to build something. The last thing you want is your spouse on the phone with the IRS, your kids fighting over probate, or half of it going to taxes you could have avoided with one decision.
In the fall of 2011, I sat at a kitchen table in Portage with a couple in their mid-60s. He’d been a tool-and-die maker for 38 years. She’d raised three kids and managed every dollar. They’d paid off the house, saved $340,000, done everything right. And they were still scared to sleep at night. Nobody had ever shown them how to turn that pile of savings into a paycheck that wouldn’t run out.
I drove home that night and decided what I was going to do for the rest of my career.
Fifteen years later, Piorkowski Insurance Agency has helped over 1,500 Michigan families do the one thing the big firms rarely get to: build a retirement that pays them every month, protects what they’ve built, and leaves something for the people they love. I’m independent. I shop every A-rated carrier. I pick up my own phone. And I’ll never put you in something I wouldn’t put my own mother in.
This is how every client relationship starts, whether you're five years from retirement or already living it.
A 30-minute conversation. You tell me your vision, your fears, what you want retirement to look like. No products discussed.
I run a complimentary analysis of your current assets, income sources, and the gap between today and your goals.
I shop every A-rated carrier in our network and bring back the two or three solutions that actually fit. You see the math behind each one.
You decide if and when to move forward. I'm here for annual reviews, beneficiary changes, and the long haul. You're not alone.
Everything is offered through Piorkowski Insurance Agency as an independent broker, with access to dozens of A-rated carriers.
A paycheck that shows up whether the market is up, down, or in free fall. Our specialty for 15 years.
We turn every income source (Social Security, pension, 401(k), IRA, annuity) into one coordinated monthly paycheck.
Term, whole, and indexed universal life: for income replacement, estate planning, and a tax-free legacy.
Pass what you've built to the next generation efficiently: minimizing taxes, avoiding probate, and maximizing what actually lands in their hands.
Six quick questions. Get an honest score and a personalized next step. No spam, no calls unless you ask.
This shapes everything we'll show you next.
Pension, annuity, rental income: anything that pays you whether the market is up or down.
Honestly.
Not a guess: a real plan that shows every paycheck source.
Beneficiary forms, life insurance, a legacy strategy: anything intentional.
The most honest answer is the most useful one.
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Adjust the sliders. The math updates instantly. This is the same kind of analysis Greg runs in step 2 of every consultation.
Live Webinar · Free
A 45-minute live session with Greg. No slides full of jargon, no high-pressure pitch. Just the three strategies retirees are using right now to lock in income, protect against the next downturn, and pay less tax.
A 24-page playbook that walks you through the exact framework Greg uses with every new client. Written in plain English, with zero insurance jargon.
Inside: how to size your income gap, the right time to claim Social Security, what FIAs actually do (and don't), and the 4 mistakes that cost retirees the most money.
"Greg didn't try to sell me anything on our first call. He just listened, asked questions, and drew out a real picture of where we were. That's when I knew."Robert & Linda M.Portage, MI
"We had $400k in a 401(k) and no idea how to turn it into income. Greg walked us through three options. We picked one. Two years in, the check comes every month like clockwork."Daniel K.Kalamazoo, MI
"After my husband passed, I was scared I'd run out of money. Greg sat with me, took his time, and built a plan I actually understand. I sleep again."Margaret S.Battle Creek, MI
Names and details represent the experiences typical of our clientele. Real client testimonials and case studies will be added as collected with consent and FINRA-compliant disclosures.
If any of these sound like your life right now, you’re exactly who Greg built this practice for.
Here’s exactly when an independent agent beats the big platforms, and when they don’t. No spin.
| What You Get | DIY (You) | Robo-Advisor | Big-Box Firm | Greg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed lifetime income | No | No | Limited | Yes |
| Principal protected from market loss | No | No | Some products | Yes |
| Shops every A-rated carrier for you | No | No | One menu | Yes |
| Ongoing AUM fees on annuity money | None | 0.25% to 0.5% | 1%+ | None |
| Real human picks up the phone | N/A | Rarely | Call center | Greg directly |
| Coordinated with your CPA & attorney | You handle it | No | Sometimes | Yes |
| Best for: stock portfolio growth | Good | Good | Good | Not the focus |
| Best for: guaranteed retirement income | Hard | No | Limited | Specialty |
If a fiduciary RIA is the right tool for your stock portfolio, Greg will tell you so and refer you to one he trusts. That’s how he’s built a 15-year referral business.
The wrong claiming age can cost a couple over $100,000 in lifetime benefits. Adjust the sliders to see your number.
If you have a traditional IRA, the IRS makes you start pulling money out at 73. See your number, and the tax bill it triggers.
Greg is based in Kalamazoo and meets clients across Southwest Michigan. Most prefer their own kitchen table, so Greg comes to you.
For folks farther out, Greg also runs video meetings over Zoom and FaceTime. Most of his practice comes from referrals, so if you’d like a local introduction, he probably already has a client near you.
Primarily A.M. Best A- rated or higher. Greg has no quota with any single one, so the recommendation is always whichever carrier fits your plan best.
No fluff. Real explainers Greg uses with clients every week.
Most retirees don’t know there are five types of annuities, and only one of them is what Greg actually recommends. Here’s the side-by-side.
Read more →Claiming at 62 vs. 67 vs. 70 isn’t about “getting your money sooner.” It’s about life expectancy, spouse coordination, and tax bracket. Here’s how to decide.
Read more →Bengen’s 1994 rule assumed market conditions that no longer exist. Greg walks through the new income frameworks that actually hold up in 2026.
Read more →Pick a time that works for you. Thirty minutes, on the phone or over Zoom. No products pitched on this call. Just your vision and a clear next step.
A quick word from Greg on what your annuity conversation will cover.
Prefer to call? (269) 910-0764 · Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM ET