Near Retirees
The most important years in your retirement plan are the ten years BEFORE you plan to retire. We call these ten years before retirement the “nearing retirement” stage of your retirement plan, and they can significantly affect the success of your retirement.
Why do these years matter so much? If you’re a corporate executive, the decisions you make regarding deferred compensation plans and pension payments can significantly influence the success of your retirement. And if you desire to retire early, knowing how you’re going to sustain your lifestyle and healthcare coverage is critical to ensure you don’t have to go back to work!
Who Are Near Retirees?
We define “near retirees” as those individuals who are within 10 years of their planned retirement date. From the perspective of the Near Retiree, there are two big questions they want answered:
- Are we on-track for retirement? Meaning, will we be able to sustain our current lifestyle throughout retirement?
- Can I retire early? Someone might say they’d like to retire at Age 62, but if it’s possible to retire at Age 60, all the better.
Getting answers to these important questions can help bring a sense of relief and purpose to your final working years. It also creates positive anticipation; looking forward to a new chapter in life.
Are you a Near Retiree?
Have large 401(k) or IRA balances, but little in Roth 401(k) or IRA
Can enroll in deferred compensation program
Will receive a pension as an annuity or lump sum payment
Own employer stock directly, in a 401(k), stock option, or restricted stock unit
Are a high income earner in peak years of career
The questions and financial attributes that define a Near Retiree demand a customized retirement plan. “Cookie-cutter” approaches to retirement don’t work because every family has different goals and desires that need to be honored and planned for.
What Financial Services do Near Retirees Need?
Financial Design Studio (”FDS”) offers financial planning services that are tailored to Near Retirees. These services address everything from the planning to implementing the plan.
Working with FDS on an ongoing basis allows you to get regular updates on your retirement progress and make changes as new goals and ideas come up. You’re not only preparing financially for retirement, but you’re also preparing psychologically, which is just as important. Our goal is that you feel confident and secure in transitioning from work life to retirement.
Retirement Planning
The goal of retirement planning is to make sure you’re able to stay financially independent throughout retirement. We assess your current retirement savings and the amount you’re putting away for retirement and weigh that against your expected living costs in retirement.
Do you have enough saved up already? If not, how much more should you be saving during your final working years? Are you able to retire early? How can you save on taxes?
These are just some questions we tackle as part of Retirement Planning.
Financial Planning
A retirement plan should not be done in isolation. Many families have other goals they’re working on at the same time they’re saving for retirement, such as sending children to college. Knowing how other financial goals affect your retirement plan can give you peace of mind.
The financial planning we do for you incorporates all aspects of your finances and goals. We examine your income and then help you prioritize savings for each of your goals. Each dollar of your income gets a “job” that moves you towards success.
Estate & Legacy Planning
Protecting yourself from the unexpected and planning out a legacy are very important aspects of your retirement plan. We help make sure you have adequate insurance coverage to support your financial goals in the event of an untimely death or disability.
Incorporating legacy giving plans and inheritance to children are key aspects of retirement planning. There are important decisions you can make today that will protect and honor your legacy one day. We help you understand what documents you’ll need and can refer you to the right estate planning attorney for your needs.
Wealth & Investment Management
Getting your comprehensive financial plan put together is important, but it’s critical to make sure it gets implemented. At FDS, we offer ongoing Wealth & Investment Management services to help you put each of your plan’s recommendations into action.
Wealth Management keeps your financial plan fresh and up-to-date. As life changes, we make regular updates to your plan to make sure you remain on-track for your goals. And as you continue to move up in your career, we help you understand additional employee benefits that may be available to you.
Ongoing Investment Management makes sure that your investment strategy is aligned with your goals and stage of life. We help you transition from an “aggressive growth” investment strategy to a more conservative one as you near retirement. And we help you navigate the inevitable ups and downs of the stock market.
How FDS Helps Near Retirees
As you reach your last decade of work before retirement, Financial Design Studio is here to help you maximize the potential of your financial resources. Each of our services addresses all questions related to your finances and goals.
Services & Pricing
Financial Planning
Over the course of about eight weeks, we work with you to design a flexible strategy for you and your goals.
We use a combination of interactive online software, custom reports, and discussions about your options. Through strategy meetings, we learn what's important to you so your plan fits your unique goals. And you'll receive a copy of your plan to remember the details in the future.
Click here to read more about your first step: creating your Financial Design.
Wealth Management
After receiving our Financial Plan, we offer this all inclusive, ongoing implementation of our recommendations.
We provide you advice on anything that has to do with your finances. We deliver financial plan updates and regular planning to ensure you're always on track to achieve your goals. We coordinate with your other professionals (CPAs, attorneys, mortgage brokers, and insurance agents).
Click here to read more about our ongoing Wealth Management services.
Pricing Schedule
Financial Planning
A Financial Plan has an initial cost of $5,000. This is paid 50% up front and 50% when we present it. Then we begin implementing your plan through wealth management.
Wealth Management
Our ongoing Wealth Management services range from 1.25% to .60% per year, of the investments we manage for you, including employer retirement accounts.
Our services are for you if…
You prefer to delegate to an expert because you value a professional's guidance
You want to know that you are cared for by a team that wants the best for you
You value a "certainty of outcome" over "beating the market"
Ready to take the next step?
Schedule a quick call with our financial advisors.