Retirement Planning

Retirement Income is Key

Retirement used to be simple —but not anymore. People are living longer, and many do not have access to traditional pension arrangements. Returns on risk-free savings continue to be lower than they have been historically. General inflation persists, and the costs of medical and long-term care are increasing at an even faster pace. As a result, individuals entering retirement today are facing more financial risk than ever before.

First and foremost, today’s retirees need a robust plan for retirement income. This typically starts with a strategy to maximize your Social Security benefits. If you’re lucky, you may also have an opportunity to choose from several options offered by a corporate pension or retirement plan. For most retirees, however, the current economic environment presents historically unique challenges to generating enough income for a long and secure retirement.

We take these challenges very seriously. We help each client craft a retirement income plan that seeks to balance the need for current cash generation and capital stability with the need for long-term growth. We consider annuities where appropriate, but are mindful that over-annuitizing a retiree’s assets can seriously limit their financial flexibility. We believe that good portfolio practices should not be abandoned in retirement, and can bring to bear specialized income-producing investments for retirees.

Funding aside, we try to make sure that pre-retirees and new retirees consider the new possibilities, choices, and risks that they face. Will you want to downsize, or perhaps to a different part of the country or world altogether? What are your life goals for retirement? Are you merely leaving your current work, or are you actively involved in moving toward a new life of your choosing?