Retirement

These starter topics will address things you should consider when it comes to planning for retirement. We will help you analyze your choices, develop a comprehensive plan, and work with you to implement your decisions so that you can achieve the ultimate goal of financial independence. Learn more by exploring the following links:

Dynamic retirement planning

Many people have an idea of what retirement will look like for them. That vision usually involves the “fun stuff”: traveling, visits with friends and family, perhaps hobbies they couldn’t find the time for when they were working. At some point in your later years, though, spending can shift to the “less fun things” such as healthcare, which can become a significant expense.

Two important questions you need to ask yourself when it comes to potential healthcare costs later in life are: (1) how expensive will healthcare be, and (2) will companies continue to provide it? Just as life has its various stages, retirement can, too. It isn’t uncommon for people to actively plan for the “fun” stage but neglect the considerations that need to be made for the less appealing stages of life. Your John G. Ullman & Associates Advisor will work with you to address the entire picture and develop a dynamic plan that will help you prepare accordingly.

With that in mind, it’s never too early to prepare for your unique vision of retirement. We work with people early in the planning process to educate them on the importance of starting a savings and investing plan. We help identify how much they should be saving and develop savings plans. We actively monitor and adjust those plans as their life unfolds to ensure that their goals are on target, and, if not, we work together to modify the plan accordingly.

As people move into their retirement years, the work continues, but in different ways. We help manage asset allocation and spending patterns to adjust for unforeseen circumstances that happen outside of their goals. Events like market fluctuations, unexpected medical issues, or the decision to help an adult child with a financial situation in their own life could derail a plan. By proactively working together, we can make modifications when needed to protect the most important goals as outlined in the plan.

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Retirement savings

Retirement can seem far away when you’re young, which means, for many people, that saving for it isn’t necessarily a high priority. However, for some, retirement can last as long as a working career. Life expectancy these days is over 80 and on the rise. This is one reason Social Security and pensions are under duress and may not provide enough income to sustain one’s lifestyle during their retirement years. There are a variety of factors that you’ll need to consider in determining how much you will need in retirement as well as the best savings plan and strategies to leverage your investments. We will work with you to understand the intricacies of all of these issues and identify a savings strategy that will help you meet your future goals.

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Social Security analysis

You might be wondering when it would be best to start receiving your retirement benefits. The answer will be based on several factors, including your cash flow. To help clarify the possibilities, we will help you analyze the choices available to you and, if applicable, your spouse to determine the right decision and appropriate timing based on your circumstances.

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Pensions

Many traditional employer-sponsored defined benefit plans are being replaced by cash balance and defined contribution plans. Over one’s career, this can result in many types and choices of retirement benefits. We will help you cut through the confusion and identify the most appropriate plans for your employment circumstances.

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401Ks, 403bs, TSPs, 457s, etc.

So many numbers and abbreviations! What does this all mean? Regardless of the plan that your employer offers, we will educate you on the specifics and help coordinate your savings into that plan with the rest of your savings strategies. We work to incorporate your investment strategy across all of your accounts and strive to make sure you are aware of the benefits that employers are providing. If you’re under active John G. Ullman & Associates financial management, we make sure that the aggregate of your accounts is balanced. We look at how every account impacts the others. If they’re out of balance, adjustments need to be made.

What do you do if you’ve changed jobs (maybe several times) but haven’t rolled over your employer plan(s)? The balance could amount to a substantial portion of your net worth. It’s your money  ̶  don’t leave it behind! We will help you decide what the next best step is for your savings. It may be leaving it where it is, rolling it to your new employer plan, or into an IRA.

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IRAs

Traditional and Roth IRAs are two ways to invest for retirement. However, they have different and complex eligibility criteria. You’re required to have sufficient income for a traditional IRA, and the tax-deductibility of contributions is determined by strict eligibility requirements based on filing status, income, and retirement plans. Transactions such as dividends, interest, and capital gains are not subject to tax while still in the account, but withdrawals are. In contrast, a Roth IRA’s contributions are never tax-deductible and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. John G. Ullman & Associates has the expertise to advise you on the complexities of IRAs and help determine which type is best for you.

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Spend-down strategies

Before you retire you should thoroughly review all of your assets, and while in retirement, your investments should be coordinated. We will analyze your tax plan to look for efficiencies and apply spend-down strategies using various approaches. An advantage of working with us is that we are a full-service firm, and our Comprehensive Services Team will coordinate your retirement planning, tax planning, and investment management needs. All of these areas must be considered when developing spend-down strategies.

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Initial insurance assessment

Although we don’t sell insurance products, one of the first tasks we complete when you join John G. Ullman & Associates is a comprehensive review of all of your insurance policies. Our role is to help you evaluate your specific risk exposure and help you analyze your coverage. We’ll work with your insurance agent or do additional research to help you identify any gaps and source the right types of insurance for you.

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Health insurance

Today’s health insurance market is very complex. You may have health insurance through your employer or you may need to find your own provider. Although we don’t sell insurance products, we have experience working with various company-provided plans as well as navigating the market place. We can help you find the best plan whatever your situation.

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Medicare

For Medicare-eligible clients, we offer advice regarding Medicare and supplemental health insurance plans and help you understand all of the components. Supplemental Medicare plans are pretty standard and set up according to specific requirements. However, John G. Ullman & Associates Advisors have the expertise to discover if there’s a supplemental plan that will give your healthcare coverage more latitude. We will also review your Part D (prescription) coverage during open enrollment to be sure the cost of your medications is covered and that the formularies for your medications have not changed.

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Life insurance

When we review your life insurance needs, we’ll take a look at the type(s) of insurance you have, examine whether it’s the right amount of coverage, and analyze the cost. We will continue to monitor and recommend insurance strategies to address all of your life stages.

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Disability insurance

While having life insurance might be your top priority, disability insurance is too often overlooked. Without disability insurance you might have difficulty paying bills and taking care of your family, especially if you’re ineligible to collect Social Security disability. Your Advisor can review plans and options with you.

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Property & casualty insurance

We conduct periodic property and casualty insurance reviews for our clients. We typically recommend having a high amount of liability insurance to protect your wealth and lifestyle. We’ll walk you through the process of determining how much liability insurance you need, including auto, homeowner’s, and umbrella coverage.

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Insurance coverage away from home

An often-overlooked risk exposure by people who travel for any purpose is having additional insurance in place before you leave home to cover cancelled flights, lost baggage, auto rental, health insurance, liability, and more. We can help you determine the coverage that best suits your needs.

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Identity theft protection

Identity theft is a deliberate crime, and it’s on the rise as people increasingly conduct banking and shop with credit cards online. If you become a victim of identity theft and your bank account or credit card is compromised, it can be extremely difficult to get your life and finances back in order. There are several identity theft protection plans to choose from. We can help you select the right option.

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