Retirement Planning for Pre-Retirees and Retirees
We Are a Fee-Only, Fiduciary, and Independent financial advisory firm focused on retirement planning
If you are approaching retirement or already retired, we help you make thoughtful decisions about retirement income, distribution strategies that consider tax implications, portfolio design, and ongoing financial planning.
We help you Visualize Your Retirement Possibilities™ through a collaborative planning process and a written retirement plan shaped by your goals, values, and sense of purpose.
Contact us to schedule a no-charge, no-obligation consultation to get acquainted.
Schedule a 30-min ConsultationWe help you Visualize Your Retirement Possibilities™ through a collaborative planning process and a written retirement plan shaped by your goals, values, and sense of purpose.
Contact us to schedule a no-charge, no-obligation consultation to get acquainted.
We meet clients either in-person or through secure virtual sessions
Retirement Planning Services
We provide retirement planning services and broader financial planning through a flat-fee, fiduciary model. We are not compensated by commissions on product sales, and as an independent firm, we are not limited to a single company’s solutions.
Planning First! means recommendations begin with thoughtful analysis, not product selection. We develop personalized retirement plans around your goals, income needs, taxes, investments, risks, and legacy priorities.
Planning First! means recommendations begin with thoughtful analysis, not product selection. We develop personalized retirement plans around your goals, income needs, taxes, investments, risks, and legacy priorities.
Retirement Vision and Goal Planning
Our retirement profiler helps you clarify your needs, priorities, goals, and purpose so you can begin shaping a meaningful vision for retirement.
The 7 Pillars Retirement Planning® eGuide can help you start the process in the comfort of your own home. There is no cost and no obligation to download the eGuide. You can download our eGuide from the resources page.
Get the eGuideThe 7 Pillars Retirement Planning® eGuide can help you start the process in the comfort of your own home. There is no cost and no obligation to download the eGuide. You can download our eGuide from the resources page.
We Start Where You Are
With your vision and goals as a starting point, we analyze your current financial situation, create projections over a 30-year retirement time horizon, and craft various retirement scenarios, enabling you to Visualize Your Retirement Possibilities™. You can view demos at our retirement planning videos page.
Retirement Planning VideosRetirement Paycheck Planning
We analyze your current financial picture, model retirement income and distribution strategies, and test a range of retirement scenarios. We then help you evaluate income sources such as Social Security, pensions (if available), RMDs, portfolio withdrawals, and other available resources. From there, we use retirement income planning to design your retirement paycheck, intended to support essential expenses and lifestyle goals.
Retirement Income PlanningPortfolio Design for Retirement
As you move into retirement, your investment approach may need to shift to reflect income needs, risk, flexibility, and long-term goals.
We evaluate your risk tolerance, risk capacity, time horizon, and preferences to provide a portfolio design for retirement that is aligned with your needs, goals, values, and purpose.
Guided by our 7 Pillars Investment Planning® framework, this may include a bucket system to help support your retirement paycheck strategy. Depending on your objectives, implementation may also include 7 Pillars Purpose-Driven Portfolios™, including Core and selected Satellite strategies.
Portfolio Design for RetirementWe evaluate your risk tolerance, risk capacity, time horizon, and preferences to provide a portfolio design for retirement that is aligned with your needs, goals, values, and purpose.
Guided by our 7 Pillars Investment Planning® framework, this may include a bucket system to help support your retirement paycheck strategy. Depending on your objectives, implementation may also include 7 Pillars Purpose-Driven Portfolios™, including Core and selected Satellite strategies.
Tax Planning
Retirement tax planning is an important part of retirement planning, especially when income comes from multiple sources with different tax treatment.
At Kastler Financial Planning, we help evaluate strategies such as Roth conversions, withdrawal sequencing, and future required minimum distributions so tax decisions can be considered within your broader retirement plan. We do not prepare tax returns, but we help clients think proactively about tax-related planning opportunities and coordinate with their tax professional when appropriate.
Tax PlanningAt Kastler Financial Planning, we help evaluate strategies such as Roth conversions, withdrawal sequencing, and future required minimum distributions so tax decisions can be considered within your broader retirement plan. We do not prepare tax returns, but we help clients think proactively about tax-related planning opportunities and coordinate with their tax professional when appropriate.
Your Written Retirement Plan
Once the analysis is complete, we review your retirement scenarios with you and prepare a written Initial Plan that may include a 3-5 page executive summary and additional detail of the analyses performed and focused information briefs. An example of a written plan may include the following sections, each client's content and flow may be different.
- Executive summary with your goals and action plan
- Retirement Income Plan with Retirement Paycheck analysis
- A redesigned investment portfolio
- Tax Planning analysis
- Risk Analysis
- Information on Medicare options
- Information on Long-Term Care options
- Summary of your estate documents review
Ongoing Retirement Planning Support
Retirement planning is not static. With ongoing planning we can help you implement, support, and modify your Initial Plan–adjust as life or market circumstances change. We have two options for ongoing retirement planning support that we can discuss to best meet your future needs. The first option is to monitor your plan quarterly, provide a yearly Plan Update, and make recommendations that you execute.
The second option is Investment Management for clients who want extra ongoing support after the plan is complete. We use an approach focused on managing investment costs and have selected Charles Schwab as custodian for client accounts.
Learn more about how we integrate ongoing retirement planning support and investment management with your Initial Plan using low-cost investment options, aligned to our fiduciary model.
Ongoing Retirement Planning SupportLearn more about how we integrate ongoing retirement planning support and investment management with your Initial Plan using low-cost investment options, aligned to our fiduciary model.
Transparent, flat-fee, tiered pricing
We believe pricing transparency matters. Our fees are publicly posted on our website for clarity and convenience. We offer a flat-fee service based on asset value, not a percentage of assets under management. View the pricing schedule on our service modules and pricing page.
Transparent PricingWho We Help
We serve clients from many walks of life, with a special focus on people who are near retirement or already retired and value thoughtful, technically grounded planning. Generally that includes engineers, IT professionals, medical professionals, and business owners. We also serve women seeking greater financial clarity, wisdom, and confidence as they prepare for and navigate retirement.
Pre-Retirees and Retirees
Thoughtful retirement planning for those nearing retirement or already retired.
Business Owners
Planning guidance for business owners and households with complex financial decisions.
Engineers, Medical, and Technology Professionals
A planning process built for those who value depth, structure, and analysis.
Women
Providing thoughtful retirement planning guidance for women seeking greater clarity and confidence.
Download the eBook, "Women and Retirement" for thoughtful guidance as you plan your retirement roadmap.
Get the eBookSecond Opinion Retirement Plan Review
We also help those that are already working with another advisor. We can provide a one-time second opinion to help you assess whether your retirement plan appears aligned with your retirement lifestyle goals.
Retirement Planning Questions We Help Answer
Many people begin retirement planning with the same Top Three questions. They’re the right questions to ask. We address them through our 7 Pillars Retirement Planning® framework so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
- How much money do I need to retire?Short Answer: We help you estimate the retirement assets and income needed for your retirement lifestyle, goals, healthcare considerations, and taxes–rather than relying on generic rules of thumb.
- When can I retire?Short Answer: We help evaluate your retirement timeline by reviewing your savings, Social Security timing, healthcare considerations, and income strategy across the seven pillars of retirement planning.
- How will I create my retirement paycheck?Short answer: We help design a coordinated plan for your retirement paycheck that draws from the resources available to you, considers tax implications, and helps support ongoing cash flow needs in retirement.
Want deeper answers?
Visit our full retirement planning FAQs page where we expand on these topics, and many more.
Retirement FAQs Why Clients Choose Kastler Financial Planning
Kastler Financial Planning exists to serve clients seeking retirement planning expertise with care, competence, and integrity.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide clear, personalized retirement planning through thoughtful guidance, ongoing service, and a fiduciary commitment to act in our clients’ best interests. Learn more at our About Kastler Financial Planning page
Our Credentials
Retirement Income Certified Professional®
Master of Science in Finance
20+ years serving families
10+ years Retirement Planning. Learn more at our Meet Mike Kastler page.
Meet Mike KastlerMaster of Science in Finance
20+ years serving families
10+ years Retirement Planning. Learn more at our Meet Mike Kastler page.
Our Retirement Planning Process
Getting Acquainted
Your first meeting is a no-cost, no-obligation conversation to see whether your needs are a good fit for our planning philosophy and capabilities.
If it appears to be a good fit, we provide a Client Service Agreement outlining the services and fee.
If it appears to be a good fit, we provide a Client Service Agreement outlining the services and fee.
Onboarding and Discovery
After the agreement is signed, we begin onboarding and discovery. We review your financial picture, gather information, and hold one or two meetings to explore your goals, concerns, and retirement priorities before building your plan.
7 Pillars Retirement Planning®
These are the 7 main pillars of retirement planning services that we believe contribute to a well-rounded retirement plan:
- Establishing a stable Income Plan
- Portfolio design and Investment Plan
- Tax planning
- Understanding your risks
- Healthcare options
- Long-Term Care funding
- Estate and Legacy planning
Collaborative Reviews
We develop retirement scenarios and review them with you–before we finalize your plan–so you can see how different choices may affect your plan.
Personalized Solutions
We identify which income planning and investment strategies may best fit your retirement goals. We then craft a 7 Pillars Purpose-Driven Income Plan™ including your retirement paycheck and a 7 Pillars Purpose-Driven Portfolio™ that aligns with your needs and goals.
7 Pillars Investment Planning®
Our Investment Philosophy centers on aligning your investable assets with your stated retirement purpose
7 Pillars Investment Planning® is our broader investment planning framework. Within that framework, 7 Pillars Purpose-Driven Portfolios™ represent the portfolio design for retirement. Our investment planning approach consists of:
- Planning First / Invest Intentionally
- 7 Pillars Purpose-Driven Portfolios™ may include Core portfolios designed to support your needs and goals and selected Satellite portfolios designed to reflect your values and purpose
- Low-cost ETFs that put more of your dollars to work
- Self-managed options for those with the knowledge and time
- Professionally managed options at a low cost
- Assets securely held with custodian Charles Schwab
Our objective is to help align your investment strategy with your broader goals and values.
Portfolio Design for RetirementHow to Start Your Retirement Plan
Step 1:
Schedule a Consultation
A 30-minute, no-charge, no-obligation conversation to learn about your goals and see whether there is a good mutual fit.
Step 2:
Provide Your Information
If there's a good fit, we send a services agreement and begin securely gathering the information needed for planning.
Step 3:
Collaborative Planning
We review your data, share planning analysis, present observations and recommendations, and write a final Plan.
Start your retirement planning journey today.
No-Charge. No-Obligation
No-Charge. No-Obligation
Schedule Your Retirement Planning Consultation
Schedule a ConsultationYour first 30-minute conversation is offered at no cost and with no obligation. It is a chance to discuss your situation, ask questions, and determine whether we are a good fit.