Retirement Planning for Your Next Chapter
You’ve spent decades building your retirement savings. As retirement gets closer, the question often changes from “Am I saving enough?” to “How do I turn what I’ve accumulated into an income strategy that can support the life I want?”
At Wilder Wealth Strategies, we help people approaching retirement and those already retired navigate the financial decisions that come with this transition.
OUR CLIENT FIRST APPROACH
Rather than starting with products or solutions, we take a client focused approach. We first seek to understand each person’s goals and circumstances before evaluating the available options. We consider your investments, tax situation, risk comfort, and family priorities. From there, we spend time educating you so you can make informed financial decisions with greater confidence. Then we help you develop personalized strategies that reflect your income needs and long-term goals.
The many factors of your retirement plan
A successful retirement plan involves more than accumulating assets. It requires understanding how the pieces of your financial life can work together once the paycheck stops.
That means looking beyond one account or decision. We help you determine when retirement may be realistic and how much income you may need. From there, we evaluate how Social Security and your different accounts could work together to provide that income. We also help you consider what to do with 401(k) assets after retirement, how taxes may affect your plan, and how much investment risk is suitable for your circumstances.
Retirement can raise other concerns as well. You may want to understand how a significant market downturn could affect your plan or how extended care needs could change it. You may also have goals for what you ultimately leave to family or charitable organizations. The answers differ for every household, which is why we believe retirement planning should begin with understanding you.
Planning the Transition From Saving to Spending
One of the biggest financial transitions you’ll make is moving from accumulating money to relying on your assets to provide income. We help pre-retirees prepare for that shift, and we work with retirees to develop income distribution strategies based on their individual circumstances.
This process starts by identifying the resources you may rely on for income, including retirement accounts, investments, Social Security, and other sources. We then consider how expected expenses, insurance, taxes, and legacy goals affect the picture. The objective is to give you a clearer understanding of where your retirement income might come from and how one financial decision can influence another.
Preparing for Market Volatility in Retirement
Market declines can feel very different when you’re withdrawing from a portfolio instead of contributing to it. That’s one reason we place particular emphasis on helping people think about market risk before and during retirement.
Rather than trying to predict when the next market decline will occur, we help you develop a plan based on your income needs, time horizon, risk tolerance, and financial resources, so your strategy isn’t solely dependent on what the market happens to be doing this month.
TAX AWARE RETIREMENT PLANNING
Taxes can also significantly affect retirement.
Different types of assets receive different tax treatment. Traditional retirement accounts, Roth accounts, and taxable investments do not all operate the same way. As a result, decisions about contributions and distributions may have consequences that extend well beyond a single tax year.
We help you consider the implications of these choices and, when appropriate, coordinate with your tax and legal professionals.
Working with Wilder wealth strategies
Our founder Rachel Wilder is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®); she also holds the Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) and Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designations. For more than two decades, she has helped people address financial problems and make informed decisions about their futures. Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, and serving the metro Atlanta area, she can meet with clients in person locally or via virtual meetings.
Who We May Be a Good Fit For
Wilder Wealth Strategies may be a good fit if you are approaching retirement or have recently entered this next stage of life. Many people at this point have accumulated assets across several different retirement and investment accounts and want help turning those resources into a coordinated income strategy.
That transition can bring several decisions into focus. You may need to determine what to do with retirement plan assets after leaving an employer, understand how taxes could influence your choices, or prepare for the effect a future market decline could have on your plan. Rather than looking at each concern separately, we help bring retirement, investment, protection, and legacy considerations together as part of one financial picture.
Frequently Asked Retirement Questions
How far ahead of retirement should I start planning?
You don’t have to wait until retirement. The years immediately before it can give you time to understand what you’ve saved, what you expect to spend, and how your available income sources may work together before you begin relying on those assets.
How can I tell whether my savings can support the retirement I want?
There isn’t one number that works for everyone. We look at the life you want to support, the income you would likely need, how long your assets may need to last, and the resources available to you. A personalized plan can then help you evaluate different retirement scenarios.
Do I have to roll my 401(k) into an IRA when I leave my employer?
Not necessarily. Depending on your plan and circumstances, you may be able to leave assets in the former employer’s plan, move them to a new employer’s eligible plan, or take distributions. We help you compare the investment, fee, tax, and distribution implications before you choose.
When should I claim Social Security?
The appropriate timing depends on your individual circumstances. Age, expected longevity, marital situation, other retirement income, and your broader financial plan all impact the decision. Rather than viewing Social Security in isolation, we consider it as one component of your retirement income strategy.
Can retirement planning account for taxes without replacing my tax professional?
Yes. We help you consider how different account types and distribution decisions may affect your broader retirement plan. When appropriate, we coordinate with your tax and legal professionals rather than replacing their work.
What if I’m worried about retiring just before a market downturn?
We don’t try to predict when the next decline will happen. Instead, we evaluate the income you need, your time horizon, your comfort with risk, and the financial resources available to you. That gives you a strategy grounded in your circumstances rather than the market.
Let’s Talk About Your Retirement
If you’re approaching retirement or already retired and would like a clearer understanding of how the pieces of your financial life fit together, we’d be happy to start a conversation either in person or via virtual meeting.
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