Retirement Planning & Investment Management

Retirement Financial Advisor

Fee-only fiduciary financial planning and investment management for people approaching retirement, already retired, or planning for the transition from earning a paycheck to living from their assets.

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What Does a Retirement Financial Advisor Do?

Retirement planning involves more than choosing investments and estimating how much you need to save. A retirement financial advisor can help coordinate your investments, retirement income, taxes, Social Security, cash flow, and other financial decisions before and after you leave the workforce.

Retirement Income

Determine how much income your portfolio needs to provide and where that income should come from over time.

Investment Management

Build and manage a diversified portfolio around your time horizon, risk tolerance, spending needs, and other financial assets.

Tax Planning

Coordinate withdrawals, Roth conversions, capital gains, charitable giving, and other decisions that can affect your tax bill.

Social Security

Evaluate when to claim Social Security and how your claiming decision fits with your broader retirement income strategy.

401(k) & IRA Decisions

Review employer retirement plans, IRAs, Roth accounts, required minimum distributions, and rollover decisions.

Cash Flow

Connect your expected spending with your income sources, portfolio withdrawals, taxes, and cash reserves.

When Should You Meet With a Retirement Financial Advisor?

There is no single age when retirement planning should begin. The right time depends on how close you are to retirement and how many financial decisions need to be coordinated.

10+ Years From Retirement

You have time to improve savings, investment strategy, tax planning, and the overall structure of your retirement accounts.

5–10 Years From Retirement

Retirement starts becoming more concrete. It may be time to model income needs, Social Security, taxes, healthcare, and portfolio risk.

Within 5 Years

Decisions about when to retire, how much to spend, when to claim Social Security, and how to structure investments become more immediate.

Recently Retired

The transition from earning a paycheck to drawing from savings can change how your portfolio and tax strategy should be managed.

Already Retired

Retirement planning continues after the retirement date. Income needs, taxes, investments, RMDs, and estate planning may all change over time.

A Major Financial Change

A business sale, inheritance, equity compensation event, pension decision, job change, or other major financial event can create new retirement planning questions.

What Should a Retirement Plan Include?

A retirement plan should connect the major financial decisions you will face before and after retirement rather than treating each account or decision separately.

Retirement Income

Estimate spending needs and determine how income can be generated from Social Security, investments, pensions, and other sources.

Portfolio Strategy

Determine an appropriate mix of stocks, bonds, cash, and other investments based on your retirement timeline and spending needs.

Social Security

Evaluate claiming strategies and how Social Security fits into your overall retirement income plan.

Tax Planning

Look at the tax impact of withdrawals, Roth conversions, capital gains, charitable giving, and required minimum distributions.

401(k)s & IRAs

Review retirement accounts and determine how they should fit into your investment, tax, and income strategy.

Cash Flow

Map expected income and expenses before retirement and throughout retirement.

Healthcare

Account for Medicare, supplemental coverage, long-term care considerations, and healthcare costs in retirement projections.

Estate Planning

Coordinate beneficiary designations, account ownership, estate documents, and the transfer of assets to the next generation.

Legacy Planning

Incorporate charitable giving, family support, inheritance goals, and other priorities into your long-term financial plan.

How Will You Turn Your Investments Into Retirement Income?

Accumulating retirement savings and turning those savings into sustainable income are two different financial problems. Retirement planning needs to address both.

Your retirement income may come from several sources, including Social Security, pensions, taxable investment accounts, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, cash reserves, rental income, or business interests.

The order and amount of withdrawals can affect taxes, portfolio longevity, and how much flexibility you have later in retirement.

Learn more about retirement income planning in Colorado →

Retirement Income Sources

Social Security
Pension income
Taxable investment accounts
Traditional IRAs and 401(k)s
Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s
Cash and short-term reserves
Real estate and rental income
Business or other income

Social Security Retirement Planning

Deciding when to claim Social Security can affect retirement income for the rest of your life. The right decision depends on your income needs, other assets, taxes, longevity expectations, and whether a spouse's benefit is involved.

When to Claim

Compare the financial implications of claiming earlier versus delaying benefits.

Spousal Benefits

Consider how each spouse's Social Security benefits fit into the household retirement income plan.

Taxes on Benefits

Coordinate Social Security with other income sources and tax planning decisions.

Tax Planning in Retirement

Your tax situation can change significantly after you stop working. You may have more control over when and how taxable income is recognized.

Retirement tax planning can include Roth conversions, investment withdrawals, capital gains, charitable giving, required minimum distributions, and the timing of large financial transactions.

Common Retirement Tax Decisions

Roth conversion analysis
Traditional IRA and 401(k) withdrawals
Capital gains management
Required minimum distributions
Qualified charitable distributions
Tax-efficient investment placement
Coordinating income across multiple tax years

Retirement Investment Management

Investment management in retirement is different from investing while you are accumulating assets. Your portfolio needs to support withdrawals while still providing long-term growth.

What We Consider

Risk tolerance and capacity
Expected retirement spending
Portfolio diversification
Taxable versus tax-deferred versus Roth assets
Cash reserves
Withdrawal needs
Time horizon
Other household assets and income

The investment strategy should work alongside your retirement income and tax plan rather than operating separately from them.

Learn more about our investment philosophy →

What Should You Do With Your 401(k) Before Retirement?

Leaving an employer can create several choices for your retirement savings. A 401(k) may remain in the former employer's plan, move to a new employer plan, or be rolled into an IRA depending on the circumstances.

A rollover should be evaluated based on investment options, fees, tax considerations, creditor protection, withdrawal rules, required minimum distributions, and the features available in the existing plan.

Read: Should I Roll Over My 401(k) When I Retire? →

Questions to Consider

What investment options are available?
What are the plan's fees?
Would an IRA provide useful investment flexibility?
Are there tax considerations for the rollover?
Do you need access to the account before age 59½?
How does the account fit into your broader retirement plan?

Retirement Planning for Aerospace & Defense Professionals

Aerospace and defense professionals can face retirement planning decisions involving 401(k) plans, restricted stock, stock options, bonuses, pensions, security clearances, concentrated positions, and compensation that changes over the course of a career.

Raytheon & RTX Employees Northrop Grumman Employees Lockheed Martin Employees ULA Employees Anduril Employees Aerospace & Defense Financial Planning

Retirement Financial Advisor in Denver & South Denver

Inclinevest Wealth Management serves retirees and pre-retirees in Denver and communities throughout the South Denver area, as well as households throughout Colorado and across the country.

Denver Centennial Englewood Highlands Ranch Parker Lone Tree Littleton

Fee-Only Fiduciary Retirement Planning

Inclinevest Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary financial planning and investment management firm. We do not receive commissions for recommending financial products.

Fee-Only

Our compensation comes from the financial planning and investment management services provided rather than commissions from financial products.

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Fiduciary

Our fiduciary responsibility means acting in the best interests of those we serve when providing investment advice.

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Our Fees

Review how financial planning and investment management fees work before scheduling a conversation.

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Our Retirement Planning Process

Retirement planning works best when the major pieces of your financial life are reviewed together.

1. Understand Your Situation

We review your income, investments, retirement accounts, taxes, spending, goals, and other relevant financial information.

2. Identify the Decisions

We identify the major decisions that could affect your retirement, including retirement timing, Social Security, investment strategy, taxes, and withdrawals.

3. Build the Strategy

Your retirement income, investment, and tax strategies are coordinated into a financial plan.

4. Implement

We help put the recommendations into action, including investment management and coordination with your other financial professionals when appropriate.

5. Monitor & Adjust

Retirement planning continues as markets, tax laws, spending needs, and your circumstances change.

6. Stay Flexible

A retirement plan should provide a framework for making decisions without assuming everything will remain exactly as projected.

Retirement Financial Advisor FAQ

What does a retirement financial advisor do?

A retirement financial advisor helps coordinate retirement income, investments, Social Security, taxes, retirement accounts, cash flow, healthcare considerations, and estate planning.

When should I hire a retirement financial advisor?

Many people begin looking for retirement advice several years before retirement, but planning can be useful earlier or after retirement as well. The appropriate timing depends on your financial situation and the decisions you need to make.

How much money do I need to retire?

There is no universal retirement savings number. The amount you need depends on expected spending, Social Security and other income, taxes, investment returns, retirement timing, healthcare costs, and how long the assets may need to last.

How much can I safely withdraw from my retirement portfolio?

A sustainable withdrawal rate depends on your portfolio, spending needs, time horizon, taxes, market conditions, and other sources of income. A retirement plan should evaluate withdrawals in the context of the entire household financial picture.

Should I claim Social Security at 62?

Claiming at 62 is one option, but it is not automatically appropriate for everyone. The decision should consider your income needs, other assets, taxes, health and longevity expectations, marital situation, and the value of delaying benefits.

Should I roll my 401(k) into an IRA when I retire?

Not necessarily. Leaving the money in the existing plan, moving it to another employer plan, or rolling it into an IRA can each have advantages and disadvantages. Investment choices, fees, taxes, withdrawal rules, and other plan features should be reviewed before making the decision.

What is a Roth conversion?

A Roth conversion generally moves money from a traditional retirement account into a Roth IRA and creates taxable income on the converted amount, subject to the applicable rules. Retirement planning can help evaluate whether conversions make sense and how much to convert.

How can I reduce taxes in retirement?

Potential strategies include managing withdrawals across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts, evaluating Roth conversions, managing capital gains, coordinating charitable giving, and planning around required minimum distributions.

What is retirement income planning?

Retirement income planning focuses on how your savings and other income sources will support your spending after you stop working. It can include Social Security, pensions, investment withdrawals, taxes, cash reserves, and portfolio management.

Should I change my investment portfolio when I retire?

Retirement may change the role your portfolio plays in your financial life, particularly when you begin taking withdrawals. The appropriate investment strategy depends on your spending needs, risk tolerance, time horizon, other income, and overall financial situation.

How much should I keep in cash during retirement?

The appropriate cash reserve depends on spending needs, other income sources, portfolio structure, and personal preferences. Some households keep enough cash for near-term spending while investing the remainder for longer-term needs.

Does retirement planning include taxes?

Yes. Taxes can affect retirement income, investment withdrawals, Roth conversions, Social Security, required minimum distributions, and charitable giving, so tax planning is an important part of retirement planning.

Can a retirement financial advisor help with investments?

Yes. Retirement planning and investment management can be coordinated so the portfolio reflects expected spending, risk, taxes, time horizon, and other financial resources.

Do I need a financial advisor if I already have a 401(k)?

A 401(k) is one part of a retirement plan. A broader review can consider your 401(k) alongside IRAs, taxable investments, Social Security, taxes, spending, insurance, estate planning, and other assets.

What is a fee-only financial advisor?

A fee-only advisor is compensated directly by the people receiving the advice rather than through commissions from financial products. This structure can help separate financial advice from product sales.

What is a fiduciary financial advisor?

A fiduciary financial advisor is subject to a fiduciary duty when providing investment advice. That means the advisor must act in the best interests of the person receiving the advice under the applicable fiduciary standard.

Do you work with aerospace and defense professionals?

Yes. Inclinevest Wealth Management works with professionals in aerospace, defense, technology, and other high-income fields, including employees of companies such as Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, ULA, and Anduril.

Where do you provide retirement financial planning?

Inclinevest Wealth Management is based in Greenwood Village and serves households in Denver, South Denver, Aurora, Centennial, Englewood, Highlands Ranch, Parker, Lone Tree, Littleton, throughout Colorado, and nationwide.

Retirement Planning Resources

Retirement Income Planning

Learn more about creating a retirement income strategy around Social Security, investments, taxes, and spending.

Retirement Income Planning →

Rethinking the 4% Rule

Explore the assumptions behind traditional retirement withdrawal strategies and how retirement income planning can be approached more broadly.

Read the Article →

401(k) Rollover Decisions

Review the questions to consider before deciding whether to roll a 401(k) into an IRA when you retire.

Read the Article →

Talk Through Your Retirement Plan

If you're approaching retirement or already retired and want to review your retirement income, investments, taxes, and overall financial plan, schedule a conversation to discuss your situation.

Schedule a Call View Services & Fees

General information provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Investment advisory services are offered through Inclinevest Wealth Management, a registered investment adviser. Please consult your tax or legal professional regarding your specific circumstances.