We welcome do-it-yourself (DIY) clients who are thinking about or already in retirement. If you are looking for one-off or occasional guidance or a financial plan, but prefer to manage your own financial affairs, then this page is for you.
We are naturally biased, but we figure even the most capable people can benefit from a second set of eyes. Moreover, we have not yet encountered anyone who could optimize their planning decisions the way we do (please see our Value Proposition and Tax Strategies pages). Monetary benefits aside, professional guidance can also give you extra confidence and peace of mind by ensuring you are on a good track.
- You have been a diligent saver, and probably live below your means
- You have likely discovered low-cost index funds (e.g., Vanguard) and/or exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
- You are comfortable managing your own portfolio – pushing the buttons to buy/sell investments
- You understand that your investments and investment-related decisions impact your taxes and have a reasonably strong grasp on tax brackets (ordinary income vs. capital gains), phase-outs, IRMAA thresholds, etc.
- You file your own taxes using TurboTax or similar software
- You are comfortable calculating and executing Roth conversions, RMDs, etc.
- You prefer to pay fixed fees or by the hour
- We analyze your investments and benchmarks against standard market indices (e.g., S&P 500 for stocks and the Barclays Aggregate Bond Index for bonds). This allows us to identify the risks embedded in your portfolio and ensure they are both intentional and reasonable. We also highlight the fees you are paying.
- We use Monte Carlo simulations to provide broader context for risk, spending guidelines, legacy, etc. Many online tools use straight-line projections (i.e., do not integrate volatility), which can leave you exposed to risks (e.g., spending too much or too little).
- We help you optimize decisions around Social Security benefits, pension payouts, annuities, etc. Many people get these wrong and miss out on tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our calculations factor in current market rates and actuarial tables maximize the benefits you receive from these sources of income.
- We overlay our portfolio and income planning with tax strategies to maximize after-tax performance. Please see our Tax Strategies page for more information.
- and more …
Is the DIY route right for you?
If you would like to pursue the DIY route, it is important to make sure that you have sufficient knowledge and comfort with respect to your financial planning and investing. The stakes are high when it comes to your retirement security. So, we want to be sure that you can understand and execute the strategies we prescribe.
To help you assess yourself, we have created a simple and quick online quiz. It will help you answer two key questions:
1. Do you need help with your financial planning and investing?
2. Are you a DIY who, at most, needs occasional guidance?
The Bottom Line:
We enjoy working with DIY-types, but it is important to ensure you have what it takes to execute the strategies we may prescribe. Please take the quiz, let us know where you landed, and we can take it from there!