Retirement Planning Insights
Short, practical observations to help you make more informed retirement decisions.
August 2026 Market Update:A Strong Market Meets New Uncertainty
(Market information current as of September 2, 2026) If last month's market theme was resilience, August brought another encouraging development: participation. Stocks continued moving higher during much of the month, but what was especially encouraging was that the...
The Retirement Risk Nobody Talks About
A successful retirement isn't only about making your money last. It's also having the confidence to enjoy the life you worked so hard to build. When people think about retirement risks, the usual concerns come to mind: Running out of money Market downturns Inflation...
Do You Actually Have a Retirement Plan…or Just a Retirement Projection?
A retirement projection shows you what could happen if everything goes according to plan. A retirement plan helps prepare you for what happens when it doesn't. One of the most common misconceptions I see is this: Many people believe they have a retirement...
Retirement Isn’t About Getting There…It’s About Staying There
Saving enough to retire is only part of the equation. The real challenge is creating a plan designed to support you throughout retirement. Several years ago, something changed the way I thought about retirement planning. Like many advisors early in my career, I...
What Happens to Your Retirement Plan If You Need Long-Term Care?
Long-term care isn't simply a healthcare concern. A significant long-term care event can also become a major financial event in retirement. When most people throughout the Greater Milwaukee area think about healthcare in retirement, they're probably thinking about...
Some Retirement Decisions Don’t Come with an Undo Button
Before making an important retirement decision, make sure you understand not only what you're getting—but what you may be giving up. One thing I often remind clients throughout the Greater Milwaukee area is that retirement decisions rarely affect just one part of your...
The Biggest Financial Mistake People Make Five Years Before Retirement
One of your most valuable resources as retirement gets closer isn't just money. It's time. If you're five years away from retirement, five years probably sounds like a long time. "I've still got plenty of time to figure this out." Perhaps. But one thing I've learned...
Why the Order You Withdraw Retirement Money Matters
Sometimes the most obvious place to get the money isn't necessarily the best place to get it. Here's something that surprises people when we begin talking about retirement income: Not all of your retirement dollars are necessarily created equal. You may have money in...
Accumulation vs. Distribution Planning
Why the strategy that helped you build your wealth may not be the same strategy you need to live on it. One thing I've learned over the years—whether I'm meeting with clients from Milwaukee, Waukesha, or Lake Country—is that retirement isn't simply about making good...
See How It All Comes Together
Start With the Retirement Confidence Roadmap
Understanding the concept of holistic planning is one thing.
Seeing how it’s applied in real-world scenarios is what makes it meaningful.
That’s why we created the Retirement Confidence Roadmap—a presentation that walks through how these strategies are used to help individuals and couples build a more secure retirement.
If you’re in Milwaukee or the surrounding Southeast Wisconsin and approaching retirement—or already there—and want a clearer understanding of how all the pieces of your financial life fit together, this is the best place to start.