The Foundational Planning Phase is the first step of our Ongoing Retirement Planning Retainer. It’s designed for households in the early years of retirement who want clarity around how income, investments, and taxes fit together—before long-term decisions and patterns are set.

This initial phase establishes the framework that guides everything that follows. Rather than treating retirement decisions in isolation, we focus on understanding how spending, portfolio structure, and tax considerations interact over time.

The Foundational Planning Phase is a structured, time-bound process that lays the groundwork for ongoing retirement planning and investment management.

Phase 1: Discovery & Goal Definition

We begin by clarifying your priorities, concerns, and preferences for retirement. This includes understanding how you want income to behave, how you experience risk, and how your current investments and accounts support—or conflict with—those goals.

Phase 2: Plan Creation & Alignment

Next, we develop and review a coordinated retirement income framework. This includes evaluating income sources, investment structure, and tax considerations together, so tradeoffs are clear and decisions are intentional.

Phase 3: Implementation & Transition

Once the framework is established, we begin implementing the agreed-upon strategy. This includes positioning investments and accounts to support income and tax decisions, and transitioning seamlessly into ongoing planning and investment management as part of the retainer.

Why This Phase Matters

Retirement decisions are interconnected. Income choices affect taxes. Tax decisions influence portfolio outcomes. And investment structure shapes how confidently you can spend.

This initial phase matters because it brings clarity to those relationships early—before small decisions compound into long-term problems. By designing the framework first, ongoing planning becomes more consistent, adaptable, and easier to manage over time.

The Foundational Planning Phase is designed to transition directly into ongoing retirement planning.

Once the initial framework is in place, we continue working together through the Ongoing Retirement Planning Retainer, revisiting income, investment, and tax decisions as markets change, tax rules evolve, and your life unfolds.

There is no separate “handoff” or re-decision point—this phase simply marks the beginning of a longer-term planning relationship.

All new clients begin with the Foundational Planning Phase as part of the Ongoing Retirement Planning Retainer. The fees below reflect the upfront planning work required to establish your retirement income framework.

Ongoing Retirement Planning Retainer — Core

Annual Fee: $7,500

Typically appropriate for households with investable assets up to ~$2 million.

Ongoing Retirement Planning Retainer — Enhanced

Annual Fee: $10,000

Typically appropriate for households with higher complexity, larger balances, or more involved coordination needs.

Additional complexity, when applicable, is addressed transparently and discussed in advance.