What working together looks like over the course of a year
Retirement income planning works best when it follows a steady, intentional rhythm rather than reacting to events as they arise.
Our annual planning structure separates strategy, monitoring, and documentation across the year—so decisions are deliberate, conversations are focused, and nothing important is left to chance.
Your Annual Planning Rhythm
Year One
Discovery → Annual Tax & Income Alignment Review → Spring Planning → Mid-Year Snapshot → Fall Strategy Review → Year-End Recap
Ongoing Years
Annual Tax & Income Alignment Review → Spring Planning → Mid-Year Snapshot → Fall Strategy Review → Year-End Recap
How the Year Fits Together
Annual Tax & Income Alignment Review - We calibrate your retirement income and tax strategy using your completed tax return and prior-year results—confirming bracket utilization, withdrawal sequencing, IRMAA exposure, and projection accuracy before moving forward.
Spring Planning - The primary strategic meeting of the year. We align retirement income, investment positioning, spending priorities, and forward-looking tax strategy within a coordinated framework.
Mid-Year Retirement Snapshot - A concise update designed to confirm stability and identify any adjustments needed as the year unfolds.
Fall Strategy Review - A forward-looking session focused on year-end income alignment, Roth conversions, charitable strategies, and other time-sensitive tax decisions.
Year-End Recap - A written summary documenting key decisions and planning themes—providing continuity and a clear starting point for the year ahead.
Why This Rhythm Works
This structure creates clarity without complexity. Strategy is separated from monitoring. Decisions are made intentionally rather than reactively. Context is documented. Your retirement income plan evolves steadily, not sporadically.
Purpose: Establish clarity and define the framework for your ongoing retirement planning relationship.
Focus:
Your goals, priorities, and long-term intentions
Key concerns, constraints, and decision pressures
Alignment around what matters most as you move into or through retirement
Description The Discovery Meeting is where structure begins. We clarify what a successful retirement looks like in your terms and identify the decisions that require coordination across income, investments, and tax strategy. This conversation sets the foundation for the planning rhythm that follows and ensures future recommendations are grounded in your values, not generic assumptions.
Purpose: Calibrate your retirement income and tax strategy using the completed tax return and prior-year results as our reference point.
Focus:
Review of your completed (or CPA-prepared draft) tax return for alignment with prior planning assumptions
Confirmation that income, retirement distributions, Roth conversions, and charitable strategies were executed as intended
Evaluation of tax bracket utilization and IRMAA exposure
Identification of adjustments to improve income and tax positioning for the current year
Updating projections to reflect actual results
Description This meeting serves as the annual calibration point for your retirement plan. We translate last year’s results into forward-looking adjustments—confirming what worked, identifying areas for refinement, and aligning your income and tax strategy for the year ahead. While your CPA handles preparation and filing, we ensure the return reflects your broader retirement income framework and long-term objectives.
Purpose: The primary income and decision-coordination meeting of the year.
Focus:
Retirement income and cash-flow design
Investment positioning and risk alignment
Spending patterns and evolving priorities
Forward-looking tax strategy for the year ahead
Description With the prior year’s results reviewed and integrated, this meeting is dedicated to deliberate, forward-looking planning. We align income, investments, and tax strategy within a coordinated framework that reflects your current priorities, constraints, and long-term objectives.
The objective is clarity—establishing a structured path for the year ahead rather than reacting as circumstances unfold.
Portfolio positioning and rebalancing considerations
Monitoring upcoming transitions or known changes
Description The Fall Strategy Review is a focused, forward-looking session designed to ensure key year-end decisions are handled deliberately rather than reactively. We confirm income timing, evaluate tax-sensitive strategies, and make any necessary adjustments so you enter the final months of the year—and the start of the next—with clarity and control.
Key decisions from the year are documented separately in your Year-End Recap.
