RETIREMENT PLANNING

WHILE ONE IS WORKING, retirement planning is about developing tax-efficient savings strategies in efforts to accumulate adequate resources for retirement.  This may include:

• Quantifying how much needs to be saved to be sure you are on track to meet your goals.
• Determining where those funds should be saved:
  • In tax-deferred accounts like IRAs or company retirement plans;
  • In ROTH accounts; and/or
  • In non-retirement accounts.
• Evaluating whether or not you should participate in non-qualified deferred compensation plans or employee stock purchase plans.
• Determining how to allocate savings across markets and asset classes in a manner that is consistent with your risk tolerance but also in line with your long-term objectives.
• Determining how to invest the funds in a low-cost, tax-efficient, broadly diversified manner.

AS RETIREMENT BECOMES MORE IMMINENT, the focus shifts to:

• Determining if there are adequate assets and projected income sources to realize specific spending goals so that you can retire with confidence.
• Determining how to optimize how these resources are working for you.
• Specifically understanding how your cash needs will be met.

WHEN YOU RETIRE, emphasis is placed on most tax-efficiently meeting your cash flow needs over the entire life of your plan.

• Determining from which accounts withdrawals should be taken and from what investments specifically.
• Evaluating ROTH conversions to reduce your tax liability over the life of your plan.
• Developing of a strategy for how stock options should be exercised.
• Capitalizing on the tax benefits of electing net unrealized appreciation treatment (NUA) for employee stock within a company retirement plan and reducing concentrated stock positions.
• Managing income levels, both for income tax purposes and for Medicare purposes.
• Integrating charitable gifting to help ensure that both you and the charities that you support benefit from your generosity.