Retirement Planning
Saving was the first job. Turning it into income is the harder one.
Most people arrive at retirement with accounts scattered across three employers, a rough idea of what they own, and no plan for the order in which to spend it. Sorting that out is usually worth more than any single decision along the way.
What we work on
The questions that come up first.
That old 401(k)
Leaving it, rolling it into an IRA, or moving it into a plan at your current employer are all legitimate options with different costs, protections, and features. The right answer depends on the specific plan, not on a general rule.
Retirement income
Which account to draw from first, how taxes change the math, when to claim Social Security, and how to build in income you cannot outlive.
Required distributions
Once RMDs begin, the IRS expects a minimum withdrawal each year. Missing one triggers a penalty on the shortfall, and December is the worst possible time to discover it.
Consolidation
Old accounts at old employers means scattered statements, scattered beneficiary forms, and no single view of what you actually own. Rolling them into one place you can see is often the clearest improvement available.
Beneficiaries
Beneficiary designations override a will. A form that has not been looked at since a divorce, a death, or a birth is the most common and most damaging paperwork error in this business.
Guaranteed income
Annuities are the most oversold and most misunderstood product in the industry. There are situations where a contract genuinely fits, and many where it does not. You will get a straight read either way.
How it works
Transparent, and slower than you expect.
The first conversation is discovery. Bring your most recent statements if you have them handy — if you do not, that is fine, we will start with what you remember. I want to understand what you have, when you want to stop working, and what you are actually worried about.
What comes back is a written picture: what you own, what it costs you today, where the gaps are, and what your realistic options are. Depending on what actually fits, that can mean a guaranteed-income product like an annuity through my insurance license, or a brokerage account holding mutual funds or variable products through my securities registration with New York Life — either way, compensated by commission and disclosed before you decide anything.
Common questions
Straight answers.
How are you paid on the retirement side?+
Do I need a certain amount to work with you?+
Can you work with my accountant or attorney?+
What if I already have someone helping me with this?+
Securities products — including mutual funds, variable annuities, variable life insurance, and brokerage accounts — are offered through NYLIFE Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, a broker-dealer subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company. These are transactions compensated by commission, not a fee-based investment advisory relationship. This site is for general information only and is not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult your own tax and legal professionals regarding your situation. This site is for general educational purposes. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell, replace, or keep any insurance policy or investment. Any recommendation follows a personal conversation about your situation.