A 401(k) statement shows you a balance.
It doesn't show you how to turn that balance into income, when to claim Social Security, or how to make it last 20-30 years. That’s the part we help you figure out.
Retirement Planning Services
from our South Carolina and Tennessee offices, serving clients nationwide.
Retirement Plan Review & Coordination
Ensure your retirement strategy reflects your goals, timeline, and full financial picture, and coordinate with your CPA and other advisors along the way.
Services Include
- Retirement readiness reviews
- Coordination with CPAs and tax professionals
- Recommendations after major life or market events
- Ongoing plan monitoring and adjustments
Retirement Income Planning
Turn your savings into a reliable income stream that lasts throughout retirement.
Services Include
- Withdrawal rate and sequencing strategy
- Guaranteed income analysis (pensions, annuities)
- Cash flow and budgeting projections
- Inflation and longevity planning
Social Security Optimization
Determine the claiming strategy that maximizes your lifetime benefit.
Services Include
- Optimal claiming age analysis
- Spousal and survivor benefit coordination
- Working-while-claiming considerations
- Coordination with other income sources
Retirement Account & Withdrawal Strategy
Plan the timing and order of withdrawals across account types to reduce taxes and extend the life of your portfolio.
Services Include
- Traditional, Roth, and taxable account sequencing
- Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) planning
- Roth conversion analysis
- Tax-efficient withdrawal strategies
Healthcare & Medicare Planning
Prepare for healthcare costs and navigate Medicare decisions in retirement.
Services Include
- Medicare enrollment timing and coordination
- IRMAA (Medicare surcharge) planning
- Long-term care cost planning
- Health savings account (HSA) strategy
Retirement Investment Strategy
Adjust your portfolio to match your risk tolerance and income needs as you transition into retirement.
Services Include
- Asset allocation for retirement income
- Risk management as retirement approaches
- Market downturn and sequence-of-returns risk planning
- Portfolio rebalancing and monitoring
Retirement Timing & Transition Planning
Plan the practical and financial details of leaving the workforce.
Services Include
- Retirement date and readiness analysis
- Pension election and lump-sum vs. annuity decisions
- Employer benefits and severance coordination
- Part-time work or phased retirement planning
Legacy & Estate Coordination
Ensure your retirement plan supports your broader goals for family and legacy.
Services Include
- Coordination with estate planning attorneys
- Beneficiary designation reviews
- Charitable giving in retirement
- Multi-generational wealth transfer planning
Centaurus Financial, Inc. and its representatives do not provide legal or tax advice. Please consult your own legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation.
Who Should Be Thinking About Retirement Planning?
You’re within 5-10 years of retiring
This is when decisions about timing, savings rate, and investment risk start to matter most.
You’re not sure how much you can spend
Knowing your balance is different from knowing what it can sustainably provide each year.
You have multiple retirement accounts
401(k)s, IRAs, Roth accounts, and old employer plans all need a coordinated withdrawal strategy.
You haven’t decided when to claim Social Security
Claiming too early or too late can mean a meaningfully different lifetime benefit.
You’re worried about an early market downturn
Sequence-of-returns risk can have an outsized impact if it hits right when you start withdrawing.
No one is monitoring your retirement plan
Markets, tax laws, and your own goals all change. A plan built once and left alone can quickly fall out of date.
And if you don't see your situation here, that doesn't mean retirement planning doesn't apply to you. Reach out, and we'll help evaluate where you stand.
Retirement Planning FAQs
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How do I know if I’m on track for retirement?
There's no single number that fits everyone. Being on track depends on your desired lifestyle, expected expenses, income sources, and timeline. We build a personalized projection so you can see where you stand today and what adjustments, if any, would help.
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When should I start retirement planning?
As early as possible, since time is one of the biggest advantages you have. That said, it's never too late to build or refine a plan, whether you're decades away from retirement or approaching it soon.
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When should I claim Social Security?
The right age to claim depends on your health, other income sources, spousal benefits, and how long you expect to need the income to last. Claiming early reduces your monthly benefit permanently, while waiting increases it. We help you weigh these tradeoffs against your full financial picture.
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Will you coordinate with my CPA and/or estate planning attorney?
Yes. Retirement decisions often touch taxes and estate matters, so we regularly loop in your CPA and estate attorney to make sure withdrawal strategies, account titling, and beneficiary designations all work together.
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Can you help me if I’m already retired?
Yes. Retirement planning doesn't stop once you retire. We help retirees manage withdrawal strategy, required minimum distributions, healthcare costs, and adjusting the plan as spending needs or markets change.
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What happens if the market drops right after I retire?
This is one of the biggest risks in retirement, often called sequence of returns risk, since early losses combined with withdrawals can affect a portfolio more than losses later on. We build plans designed to help manage this risk in advance, rather than reacting to it after a downturn happens.
