At the core of a fulfilling retirement is a strategy created uniquely for you. Our approach at Quantis is built on a foundation of personalized guidance and clear, actionable steps. We’ve distilled our retirement planning process into the following three steps that paves the way to a retirement tailored to your vision and values.
In this initial phase, we utilize “what-if” scenario analysis to bring your ideal retirement vision into focus. We delve into questions such as: Can you retire sooner than planned? Are you financially prepared for a higher level of travel or owning a second home? These inquiries are essential for crafting a retirement strategy that truly reflects your aspirations.
Our process mitigates uncertainty in retirement planning by examining a range of economic conditions, creating a plan tailored to your goals. Key areas we focus on include:
• Retirement Timing: Evaluating whether early or delayed retirement enhances your financial security.
• Spending Adjustments: Assessing the impact of changes in current spending on your future finances.
• Social Security Decisions: Identifying the best time to start claiming benefits.
• Investment Strategies: Reviewing the need for increased savings, retirement contributions, or Roth IRA conversions.
• Legacy and Philanthropy: Incorporating inheritance and charitable giving into your financial plan.
• Healthcare Planning: Planning effectively for healthcare costs, including insurance and potential long-term care.
In this visual, we explore the journey of Mike and Mary, a couple who dreamed of securing a lasting legacy for their children and indulging in their love for travel during retirement. Uncertain about when they could afford to retire or how much they needed to save, they sought clarity on their financial path.
Our tailored approach enabled them to pinpoint exactly how much they needed to save, along with a clear understanding of their future spending needs. After this analysis, Mike and Mary were able to retire two years ahead of when they originally planned.
This graphic illustrates how our process can illuminate the path to achieving your retirement dreams, just as it did for Mike and Mary.
*This is a case study for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation. It may not be representative of your experience.
Balance Sheet
By developing your personal household balance sheet, we evaluate the current value of future assets (e.g., savings, pensions, social security, inheritances) and liabilities, primarily retirement expenses. We aim to precisely determine your retirement funding level, earmarking necessary assets for retirement and identifying surplus funds, termed as your spare risk capacity.
Importance of the Household Balance Sheet:
Our method in Step 2, focusing on current asset and liability values, minimizes the risk of compounding long-term forecasting errors inherent in traditional approaches. This leads to a more accurate and reliable evaluation of your retirement fundedness.
We provide detailed insights into the portion of your assets required for retirement, to allow for informed and strategic asset distribution.
Our goal is to secure your critical retirement assets, maintaining stability during fluctuating markets and offering greater confidence in the long term.
In this example – these clients are over-funded for their anticipated retirement lifestyle by about $2.8m.
In this scenario, following our initial step, we are assessing the level of funding to determine the portion of the clients’ assets that should be dedicated exclusively to retirement. By carefully considering future savings contributions, the value of employer stock, and projected Social Security benefits, we concluded that these clients are in an enviable position: they are “overfunded” for retirement by an estimated $2.8 million.
This surplus indicates a robust financial standing that not only secures their retirement but also opens up possibilities for earlier retirement, enhanced lifestyle choices, and greater legacy opportunities.
*This is a case study for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation. It may not be representative of your experience.
for Tomorrow
Once we have charted your course through strategic planning and a detailed balance sheet analysis, we arrive at the pivotal process of Portfolio Construction. This stage is about smart asset segmentation, ensuring alignment with your needs and aspirations.
These are the funds earmarked to secure your retirement. They’re invested conservatively to provide for your essential expenses and to create a steady income stream.
This is your surplus capital, the financial power you hold beyond your necessary retirement provisions. Here, we have the opportunity to pursue more aggressive growth strategies, aiming for higher returns that can expand your financial legacy and provide for the extras that make life enjoyable.
By intelligently allocating your assets into these two distinct buckets, we create a balanced, resilient portfolio that not only safeguards your retirement but also seeks to maximize your wealth potential. Let’s build a portfolio that reflects your personal financial landscape and retirement dreams.
Building on the insights from step 2, our customized approach has guided our clients to secure their retirement objectives confidently. By allocating approximately $6.35 million to a lower-risk, lower-volatility investment portfolio, we ensure the foundation of their retirement goals is solid. With the remaining $2.7 million—after earmarking $100,000 for cash reserves—we’re positioned to pursue additional investments with reduced concern over market fluctuations.
This strategy empowers our clients with financial stability and clarity, knowing their retirement is safeguarded against volatility.
*This is a case study for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation. It may not be representative of your experience.
- A list of your goals and dreams
- Latest earnings statement
- Summary of benefits from work
- Investment statements, including retirement plans
- Bank statements
- Mortgage statement
- Credit card statements
- Last year’s tax return
The Financial Planning Process, as delineated by the Certified Financial Planner™ Board of Standards,
consists of the following six steps:
Welcome! If you are nearing or in retirement, please fill out the form below to receive your complimentary retirement analysis. This detailed information will enable us to provide you with a preliminary assessment of your current retirement probabilities of success.
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Tax return preparation services are offered through Quantis Tax Services and are separate and unrelated to Commonwealth Financial.