Pre-Retirement Planning
Confidently navigate the final years before retirement
The years leading up to retirement are some of the most important for shaping long-term financial security. We help you shift from accumulation to preservation, refine your goals, and build a plan that supports the lifestyle you envision.
Explore Key Areas of Pre-Retirement Planning
A Clear Path Toward a Smooth and Confident Retirement Transition
Pre-retirement planning involves fine-tuning every part of your financial life so your retirement years feel steady and well-supported. The pages below dive deeper into the strategies that guide income planning, investment adjustments, and long-term decision-making.
Retirement Planning
This page explains how we project future income, analyze spending needs, and calculate the savings required to support your retirement lifestyle. It also details Social Security timing, tax considerations, and long-term strategy alignment.
Healthcare & Long-Term Care Planning
Explore Medicare basics, supplemental insurance decisions, and strategies for long-term care preparedness. This resource helps ensure healthcare costs don’t become unexpected obstacles in retirement.
Estate & Gifting Strategies
Learn how updated estate documents, beneficiary designations, and planned gifting can support your goals and protect your legacy. This page outlines how estate planning evolves as retirement approaches.
Living in Retirement
Understand how planning transitions into ongoing monitoring once retirement begins. This page highlights income distribution strategies, investment adjustments, and long-term financial navigation.
Shifting Focus From Accumulation to Preservation
Preparing Your Finances for the Next Phase of Life
As retirement nears, priorities begin to shift from maximizing growth to balancing growth with preservation. This phase is about protecting what you’ve built while still allowing your portfolio to work for you. Your goals, time horizon, and income needs all influence how your strategy evolves, especially as market fluctuations may become less tolerable. We help you right-size risk exposure, review upcoming expenses, and align investments with the lifestyle you envision. With intentional planning, the transition becomes clearer, steadier, and far more manageable.
Common Questions About Pre-Retirement Planning
Your Near-Retirement Questions, Answered
What should I do five years before retirement?
Five years out is an ideal time to clarify your retirement goals, estimate income needs, and assess whether your savings are on track. This is also when reviewing asset allocation and gradually reducing risk exposure becomes especially important. Healthcare planning, including Medicare decisions or pre-65 coverage, should also be part of the conversation. Together, these steps help ensure your financial plan is aligned with the retirement lifestyle you want.
How do I estimate how much money I’ll need in retirement?
A detailed analysis considers your expected living expenses, inflation, healthcare costs, taxes, and lifestyle goals. By projecting income needs across multiple decades, we help determine the nest egg required to maintain your desired standard of living. Capital Needs Analysis provides clarity on gaps, opportunities, and realistic planning targets. This process allows you to retire with confidence and a well-supported financial foundation.
Should I reduce investment risk as I get closer to retirement?
Most people benefit from gradually reducing risk as retirement approaches, but how much depends on your income needs, time horizon, and comfort with volatility. A balanced approach still allows for growth while aiming to protect your savings from short-term market swings. Adjustments are typically made over time rather than all at once. We help determine the appropriate mix that aligns with your goals and long-term plans.
When should I consider Roth conversions?
Roth conversions can be beneficial in years when your tax bracket is lower than what you expect in retirement. The strategy may also help reduce Required Minimum Distributions and create more tax flexibility later in life. Timing matters — conversions should be evaluated alongside income, deductions, and long-term goals. We help determine when and if a conversion aligns with your retirement strategy.
How do I make sure my estate plan is ready for retirement?
Approaching retirement is an ideal time to review your wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations. Life changes — new grandchildren, property purchases, or updated goals — often mean your documents need to be refreshed. Ensuring everything reflects your current wishes helps protect your family and streamline future administration. A coordinated estate plan supports both your peace of mind and your long-term legacy.
