Home  /  Services  /  Retirement Planning

Retirement planning for business owners and families in St. Louis.

For an owner, retirement is two questions at once: can I step away, and can the money replace what the business paid me? We answer both with your numbers: how much is enough, and how to draw it.

The second half

Retirement is an income problem

Saving is the first half. The second half is turning accounts, a business, Social Security, and maybe a pension into a paycheck that lasts, drawn in an order that keeps taxes down. That's the plan we build, and we test it against bad markets and long lives before you rely on it.


What we cover

DECISIONS THAT SHAPE THE OUTCOME

HOW MUCH TO SAVE BEFORE RETIREMENT

The total number you need is built from what you actually spend each year, plus some room for the things that may turn out differently than expected.

THE RIGHT COMPANY RETIREMENT PLAN

Choosing between 401(k), profit sharing, cash balance. The right plan with proper management can shelter a large share of an owner's income in the final working years.

HOW TO SPEND FROM YOUR PORTFOLIO

When you need cash, which accounts should you pull money from? IRAs, 401(k)s, Trusts, Brokerage accounts...each has different rules & tax consequences.  The right answer can make your money last longer.

Social Security timing

Deciding when each spouse should claim, and how that interacts with other income, taxes, and survivor benefits.

MEDICARE - HEALTH CARE BEFORE AND AFTER 65

Coverage in the gap years before enrolling in Medicare, and how income affects Medicare premiums afterward.

EFFICIENT INVESTING

Unnecessary portfolio taxes and costs can quietly eat into performance year after year.  Choosing which accounts own which investments can make a portfolio more sustainable long-term.

How we model it

A RETIREMENT PLAN YOU CAN UNDERSTAND

We create a year by year projection of your numbers, then stress the plan under different scenarios.  Stress testing reveals what pieces of the plan are critical, whether it relies on good stock market returns, selling the business for a certain number, or inheriting a future sum.  With a retirement plan in place, we can solve problems before they occur, and take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

We update your plan yearly and with major events, so the plan you retire with is the one you've been watching for years.

Common situations

Where we spend the most time

SELLING THE BUSINESS TO FUND RETIREMENT

The business and retirement are one plan. See business exit planning.

BALANCING RETIRMENT AND INHERITANCE

How to spend, grow, or leave an inheritance while living retirement the way you want.

Retiring before 65

Health insurance and early withdrawals need their own plan. It's doable, with care.

Too much in one place

A business, an oversized stock position, a piece of real estate. We find the path from concentrated to well-balanced.

Common questions

What people in St. Louis ask about retirement

How much do I need to retire?
It depends on what you spend and what you want to accomplish, not on a rule of thumb. We build the number from your actual budget, your business, and your accounts, then show you what changes it: retiring earlier, spending more, selling for less.
When should I take Social Security?
It depends on health, marriage, other income, and taxes. We run the comparison as part of the plan rather than guessing or just doing what everyone else does.
Can I retire and keep the business?
Sometimes. You need a plan for who runs it and how you're paid when you're not there every day. We'll show you what that looks like compared to a full sale, so you can compare.

Next step

Find out where you stand

One conversation about where you stand. We’ll tell you plainly what a plan would show you, and what it would cost.

Speak with a founder

Thirty minutes with a founder. No homework.

Quarterly Recap

Get the Quarterly Recap

Our quarterly market update, in plain English.  No sales pitch.