Roth conversions. Taxable-account design. 0% capital-gains harvesting. A system built around the window that disappears the day you retire — whether retirement is ten years away or one. The more time we have, the more we can do.
Most people first call an advisor the year they retire. By then, the highest-value moves are already off the table. The earlier we start the conversation, the more planning levers are available — but even with one or two years to work with, there is real and meaningful work we can do.
Once you stop earning a W-2, your income drops dramatically — often into a temporary low-tax window before Social Security and Required Minimum Distributions begin.
That window is gold. It's where the best Roth conversions happen, where 0% capital-gains harvesting becomes possible, and where the difference between a good and a great retirement plan is permanently locked in.
But the window is short, and using it well requires positioning that has to start years earlier. That is what we do.
The same structural plays, customized to your income, accounts, goals, and timeline. This is the system our pre-retirement clients get hired for.
We prioritize building taxable investment accounts — the assets that will fund your first years of retirement income before tax-deferred accounts are touched. Done well, this creates the room for everything that follows.
The early retirement years are an income gap most people never plan for. We use that window deliberately — multi-year Roth conversions and 0% capital-gains harvesting, sized to fill the right brackets without triggering IRMAA surcharges.
Once Social Security and RMDs are on, the strategy shifts to lifetime tax minimization, withdrawal sequencing, and coordination with estate and legacy goals. We manage the portfolio and tax picture in lockstep — every year.
Building the taxable account that funds your first 3–7 years of retirement, so tax-deferred accounts can grow undisturbed and Roth conversion room stays wide open.
Set up: 5–10 years before retirementA multi-year sequence of conversions sized to fill low brackets, coordinated with Medicare IRMAA thresholds and Social Security timing. One of the highest-value, least-talked-about moves in retirement.
Executed: years 0–7 of retirementIn low-income years, the federal long-term capital-gains rate is 0% up to a threshold. We harvest gains deliberately — resetting cost basis tax-free and building flexibility for the years ahead.
Executed: low-income yearsFor most couples, the optimal claiming strategy is not 62 and not 70 — it's a coordinated decision modeled against your tax picture, longevity assumptions, and Roth strategy. We model it precisely.
Decided: years 0–8 of retirementRequired distributions can push you into higher brackets and higher Medicare premiums. Qualified Charitable Distributions, smoothing, and pre-RMD conversions are the tools we use to manage them.
Active: age 73 onwardMost planners think in tax years. We think in tax decades — sequencing income, gains, conversions, and withdrawals to minimize tax across your entire retirement, not just this April.
OngoingThe single largest unfunded risk in most retirement plans. We model the three paths — self-insure, traditional LTC, or a hybrid life/LTC policy — against your assets and goals, and implement the right coverage in-house where it fits.
Decided: mid-50s to mid-60sAn introductory meeting is free, private, and low-pressure. We'll learn about your situation, talk through the planning window you're in, and decide together if we're the right fit. Most of the highest-value moves are time-sensitive — the earlier we start, the more we can do.
Schedule an Introductory Meeting Or call directly: (724) 872-6311