Retirement planning takes the guesswork out of a milestone event in your life.  You have worked hard to build wealth, now is the time to have a plan to make it last.  As your source for retirement planning in Bellingham, WA, Skyline Advisors can help you plan ahead to secure your retirement so you don’t run out of money.  We help you prepare for retirement, avoiding pitfalls along the way, plan to accomplish your goals, and we walk with you after retirement to stay the course along your journey.

Our retirement planning consultants help you align with your purpose.  Too many people work too long and don’t get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.  We can plan with you and address the unique retiree risks :

• Reduced Earnings Capacity when you leave the workforce
• Paycheck replacement. How will you generate income to replace your paycheck?
• Withdrawal Location. Where will you draw from?  When will you start Social Security?
• Visible Spending Constraints. Living on a budget with fixed income
• Sequence of Returns risk. This is a big one.  What if you retire during a “lost decade”?
• You need to think about the possibility that you outlive your money
• Spending Shocks. We address security and safety
• You can’t just earn more at work to pay expenses.  You need to plan for increasing costs.

Retirement Planning Specialists Can Incorporate Any Of The Following:

• Retirement Goals
  Our retirement advisors can help you determine how much money you will need to live comfortably after you retire. We can goal-plan for travel, health care, legacy giving, charitable giving, moving to another home, and other goals. We help you organize your financial life so you can enjoy retirement.  We can help you balance income with growth.
• Ideal Retirement Age
  You may spend 40+ years working towards retirement, but you may live 20-40 years after you retire. Will your money last?   We can help you determine a secure retirement date.
• Your Social Security
  You pay into Social Security your whole working career. When should you claim your benefit?  How do you coordinate it with a spouse or ex-spouse?  Before and after retirement, our financial advisors can help you optimize your benefit.
• Retirement Income
  We help you convert your retirement nest egg into a reliable stream of income. We consider your taxes, your costs, your investment performance, your portfolio risk and work to preserve your savings.  Private retirement planning involves your personal goals, your investments, your pension, rental income, Social Security and Required Minimum Distributions to create retirement cash flow the rest of your life.
• Your Taxes

We help you minimize income taxes by modelling the sale of your property, your business, and your investments.  Considering your Required Minimum Distributions and Roth Conversions.  Roth IRA Planning to control your taxes and leave more to your heirs.

• Your Debt
  You shouldn’t have to worry about paying down your debts when you’re retired. We can make the transition easier for you by making your obligations part of your plan.
• Your Needs, Wishes and Wants
  You can rest assured that our financial planning for retirement can guide you exactly where you want to be when the time comes.

Employer Retirement Benefits

We can review your employer’s retiree benefits.  How your health plan coordinates with Medicare.  What to do with your 401(k).  Should you Rollover to an IRA?  Should you use your 401(k) to generate income?  What to do with your Deferred Compensation plans.  Should you terminate your disability benefits?  We want you to make an informed decision regarding the benefits you’ve earned over your career, and what your options are now that you’ve retired.

Our 7-step Retirement Planning Process

Step 1. Establish a Relationship

• Together, we identify expectations and concerns
• We collect and analyze your personal and financial data

Step 2. Identify and Select Goals

• We identify and prioritize your financial-life goals
• Then, we discuss your situation to develop assumptions and estimates

Step 3. Map Out the Plan

• We analyze your current course of action
• We will also identify alternative courses of action and scenarios

Step 4. Develop Recommendations

• We identify gaps and opportunities, then troubleshoot and problem solve
• We optimize your Plan by matching your resources to your goals

Step 5. Present the Plan

• We present the recommended Plan
• We answer questions and discuss, then make any needed adjustments
• We make sure each party has clarity and understanding

Step 6. Implement the Plan

• We help organize, simplify and prioritize planning areas
• We help you execute planning recommendations

Step 7. Monitor and Update

• We follow-up to determine your status
• We continually learn and make new recommendations
• We meet and update the Plan as life happens

Common Questions We Can Help You Answer

• How soon can I retire?
• Would it help if I continued working part-time after I retire?
• How do I convert my savings into a reliable paycheck?
• Should I reduce my investment risk in retirement?
• Is it a good idea to wait until my mortgage is paid off completely?
• What should I expect in terms of taxes?
• How much will I need for healthcare?
• Can I depend on Social Security?
• Should I take my pension as a lump sum or an annuity?
• How should I set up a budget for my retirement?
• Will I be able to maintain my spending habits?
• What should I do with my investments after I retire?

Skyline Advisors^’ Certified Financial Planner’s® and our team of professionals can help you prepare a financial plan. We have the skills and knowledge necessary to make private wealth management less complicated for you.  Please contact us today for a free consultation.