Case Study: Nearing Retirement

Christopher, 55 | Primary goal: Get a second opinion that he will be able to retire on his terms.

After a long and accomplished career in the banking industry, Christopher was ready to start thinking about retirement.

He currently holds a variety of investment accounts, including 401(k)’s from his employers, stocks from an ESPP, and multiple brokerage accounts.

Christopher has one child in her freshman year of high school. Christopher lives modestly, owns his home and car outright, and looks forward to spending more time with his friends and family in retirement.

The Challenge:

Christopher was pretty sure he had enough to retire but also hoped he could leave a legacy for his kid.

He needed a better plan that would allow him to retire confidently and knew exactly where to go – a financial advisor.

The only problem was Christopher was weary of advisors after dealing with an overly-salesy advisor a few years back who did not have Christopher’s best interest in mind.

The Approach:

After meeting with a few financial advisors in his area, Christopher knew he wanted to work with an advisor carrying the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification located in his area.

Once sitting down with Curtis Chen CFP®, his goals were clearly documented and a personalized plan was starting to come to fruition. And most importantly, he felt heard.

The Results:

In collaboration with Christopher’s CPA, he was able to:

• Establish a retirement timeline that included future financial changes (social security & medicare)
• Organize his assets so he would know if he had enough money to fund what mattered most
• Reduce potential taxes through charitable strategies and systematic sale of his stock options
• Maximize the effectiveness of his savings during his remaining working years
• Set up a college fund for his daughter

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