How to Plan for Retirement

    WHEN CAN YOU RETIRE?

    EP Wealth Can Help You Determine a Comfortable Retirement Date

    Do you catch yourself asking,“I wonder at what age I can retire?”

    At EP Wealth Advisors, we help you answer that question. And if the answer is “not soon enough” then we will provide retirement planning advice to help you get on track.

    Is early retirement your dream? Based on your current investments and investing strategy, how likely is it that this dream becomes a reality? That’s where financial planning for retirement comes in.

    Your retirement date is based primarily on when you will have sufficient assets to provide the income to meet your needs for the rest of your life. A bear market can force you to put off retirement or run the risk of outliving your money. A financial advisor can help you build a plan focused on protecting principal, minimizing losses, and enabling you to retire on your own terms.

    OUR 4-STEP PEACE OF MIND PLAN

    EP Wealth’s Retirement Planning Process

    When you have financial peace of mind, life is just plain easier. We know that this is what you envision for your retirement. That's why we developed a 4-step Peace of Mind Plan that is personalized to you and your goals.

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    DISCOVER

    In our discovery phase, we have two goals: one is to understand what your happy retirement looks like, and the other is to understand where you're at with your finances. Your EP Wealth Advisor will share a Document Checklist to begin gathering the information to help create your retirement plan.

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    PRIORITIZE

    Your EP Wealth Advisor Team will present your Retirement Plan, which will include cash flow projections and stress testing of your plan. As a takeaway, you'll receive prioritized steps intended to help you achieve your retirement goals, as well as a personalized portfolio based on your needs, risk tolerance and goals.

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    IMPLEMENT

    Your EP Wealth Advisor will follow up on the prioritized steps in your retirement plan. This may include: developing a tax plan with a CPA, drawing up proper estate documents with an estate attorney, or helping you protect your loved ones with a sound insurance strategy. Your EP Wealth team will help you invest in a diversified portfolio aligned with your goals and risk tolerance.

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    MONITOR

    You’ll meet regularly with your EP Wealth Advisor to review your retirement plan. Updates will be made to your plan based on changes in your life. You’ll receive quarterly performance reports and have access to financial education resources such as client events, educational webinars, and newsletters.

    PLAN AHEAD FOR WHAT’S AHEAD

    Is Your Retirement Plan on Track?

    Are you on track to live the retirement you envision? Here are 7 steps to maximize your retirement.

    DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE RETIREMENT PLANNING GUIDE
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    HOW TO PLAN FOR RETIREMENT

    Identify the Gap Between Where You are and Where You Want to Be

    Daydreaming about retiring can be inspiring, but thinking about retirement is different from planning for retirement. Every retirement plan has to balance three main goals:

    • Maximize your enjoyment of retirement
    • Manage the risk of outliving your income
    • Manage the risk of unexpected life events and investment risk

    The difference between the annual income you need and your retirement income is your gap, And that's what needs to be solved with your savings and investments, including real estate. Retirement income is usually defined by Social Security and pensions. You may have a handle on current expenses, but many expenses change in retirement, like health care, long-term care, and travel. The gap between income and expenses may give us an idea of the annual income you will need in retirement. The gap gives your personal financial plan a clear objective for your investment portfolio, which may also include real estate.

    A general rule of thumb is that you'll need 60-90% of your pre-retirement income, but that can change for every person, which is why we will create your personal financial plan and customized investment portfolio.

    OUR HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WEALTH PLANNING

    How EP Wealth Helps You Build the Future You Envision

    With EP Wealth Advisors, you get much more than investment management. You get a personalized financial plan that clarifies your goals and guides your financial decisions as you build the future you envision.

    Your customized financial roadmap includes a financial health assessment to see where you are now and how to get to where you want to go. That assessment includes an investment portfolio analysis and tax planning services for a totally holistic approach. EP Wealth can work with a CPA in developing a tax plan. We can also advise about your insurance needs to protect your loved ones.

    Life changes, and your retirement plan needs to stay flexible. We meet with you regularly for a retirement plan review and to make any adjustments for the surprises that life throws your way.

    FINANCIAL ADVISORS FOR RETIREMENT PLANNING

    Stop dreaming, start planning, and talk to an EP Wealth Advisor today about creating your own retirement plan!

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    HOW EARLY SHOULD YOU START 
    PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT?

    The Earlier You Start Saving, The Better

    It’s never too early to start planning for retirement. Of course, you’ll want to take full advantage of employer-sponsored retirement contributions, matching contributions, and IRA contributions. If you own your own business, it may make sense to contribute the maximum amount each year to a SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, solo 401(k), or defined benefit plan.

    At some point, and the sooner the better, it’s wise to enlist the expertise of a financial advisor. You need to know whether you are on track to achieving your retirement goals. If you’re falling short, a financial advisor can show you ways to catch up and diversify your portfolio to align with your goals and your risk tolerance.

    ESTATE PLANNING FOR RETIREES 

    Along with retirement planning, EP Wealth offers estate planning services so that you can feel confident that your loved ones will be provided for when you are no longer here. Your financial advisor works as a team with your estate attorney to document your wishes and put a plan in place for the appropriate division of your assets.

    LIFE TRANSITION PLANNING

    How EP Wealth Helps You Manage Life’s Transitions

    It helps to think of financial planning for retirement as life transition planning. You're transitioning from a life in which your time was owned by your job to one in which your time belongs to you. It's a new and exciting phase, but good preparation is key.

    As you prepare for your retirement journey, your EP Wealth Advisor is by your side. We create a retirement plan that includes cash flow projections in retirement. We thoroughly stress-test that plan using modeling that predicts possible outcomes of uncertain events, is performed on your plan. In this case, your retirement plan is subject to approximately 1,000 trials.

    When you know you are financially prepared for retirement, you can enjoy this period of your life to its fullest.

    TALK TO AN ADVISOR ABOUT YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN

    Whatever retirement means to you, we hope you enjoy the most of it. If planned thoroughly, you can have peace of mind from being organized and prepared to handle the uncertainties of life.

    Schedule a consultation with an EP financial advisor today so that we can review your financial portfolio and put you on the path toward a successful retirement.

    The topics represented here are limited to and associated with the services offered by EP Wealth Advisors. This is not an exhaustive or comprehensive detailing of the retirement planning options available. Other more appropriate options with varying selections and unique benefits may be available that are better suited for your individual needs and circumstances. There is no guarantee that anything referenced herein will be appropriate or suitable.

    The information presented here is not intended to be regarded as a comprehensive list of retirement plans, considerations, including but not limited to, categories, services, or qualifications that a client or prospective client should consider when assessing or comparing retirement plans or retirement accounts. EPWA makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information presented. EPWA reserves the right to make changes to some or all of the information displayed here without notice.

    EP Wealth Advisors is not in the business of providing legal or tax advice or preparing legal or tax documents. Please consult with a CPA, tax professional, and/or attorney regarding your specific situation before implementing any of the strategies referenced directly or indirectly herein

    EP Wealth Advisors, LLC is a registered investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Registration with the SEC does not constitute an endorsement by the SEC, nor does it imply that EP Wealth has attained a certain level of skill or ability.

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