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Near Retirement

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Client Snapshot

James and Mary, both 57, are high-earning professionals in Pennsylvania with 2 adult children. James is a program manager, and Mary is a Nurse Practitioner. With about 6 years until their target retirement, they have accumulated a mix of 401(k)s, Roth IRAs, and taxable brokerages. While their savings rate is high, they are missing a unified strategy to connect their money with their life goals.

The Challenge

Despite building a significant portfolio, James and Mary were frustrated by the core question of “Do we have enough to stop working without changing our current lifestyle?” Their wealth is spread across multiple accounts with generic investments products that keep them feeling stuck. They are worried about market volatility, unsure how to handle their portfolio, and are focused on current tax deductions rather than their hefty future liability to the IRS. Also, they have no clear plan for their family legacy or bridging healthcare costs before Medicare. They feel overwhelmed by the moving parts, and need a clear, dedicated partner to coordinate their entire financial picture.

Our Planning Process

We initiated a collaborative multi-step planning process to align their financial resources with what mattered to them personally. To start, we engaged in deep conversations about their family dynamics, vision for retirement, and long-term legacy goals before coordinating with a trusted local estate attorney to implement an estate plan aligned with their wishes. To address their tax concerns, we shifted their focus away from short-term tax deductions toward a multi-year strategy designed to manage account distributions, systematically divest concentrated stock positions, and reduce their overall lifetime tax burden. As part of their comprehensive cash flow plan, we built a custom healthcare bridge strategy to fund their medical costs until Medicare eligibility. On the investment side, we transitioned their portfolio away from generic products into our Ideal-Core investment strategy, a mix of individual equities and fixed income, focused on direct control, growth, and wealth preservation. Finally, we established ongoing support through regular review meetings, ensuring their strategy adapts as their life evolves and their target retirement date gets closer.

The Outcome

James and Mary gained total clarity and confidence regarding their timeline to retirement. By shifting from reactive short-term tax deductions to a sophisticated multi-year tax plan, they significantly reduced their projected lifetime tax liability to the IRS, while systematically divesting concentrated positions. We established a dedicated healthcare bridge strategy to comfortably fund their medical costs prior to Medicare eligibility. Their portfolio is now directly controlled through our Ideal-Core investment strategy and aligned with their values, protecting their wealth from sequence-of-returns risk and market volatility. Tying it all together, with their estate and legacy plan improved to be practical and coordinated, they replaced financial anxiety with excitement for their upcoming retirement journey.

Key Takeaways

  • Values-Driven Clarity: Aligned their financial picture directly with their personal family goals and long-term vision.
  • Lifetime Tax Focus: Implemented a multi-year tax strategy to keep more wealth in their pocket.
  • Tailored Investing: Replaced generic products with direct individual equity and fixed-income strategies for better control.
  • Coordinated Legacy: Built a personal estate foundation before locking in legal documents.

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