Ongoing Retirement Consultation

“What happens once I retire?” Do you still need an ongoing review of your finances? Absolutely.

Just because you’ve retired doesn’t mean your life won’t continue to change. In fact, you’ll often face challenges you may not have expected curve balls that seemingly come out of nowhere.

For example, what if you need to help one of your children with a financial emergency? What happens if your health changes? How do you adapt to changes in estate laws so you can maximize the inheritance you leave to your children?

If you don’t already have a solid strategy in place–one that’s flexible enough to cope with unknown issues that may crop up, you could be threatening the financial security you’ve worked so hard to build.

So throughout your retirement years, you can count on IWA to regularly review your finances and to help you fine-tune your plan. And if unexpected expenses call for adjusting your expectations, we’ll help you adapt to these changes in a way that keeps your assets working as efficiently as possible.

Social Security and Medicare

Social Security and Medicare are benefits designed to help you stretch your retirement funds by providing income and coverage for healthcare, an expense that can be significant in retirement. But these programs can present you with many choices which can be confusing if not carefully reviewed and considered. Even worse, some decisions you make are irrevocable, and those may cost you many thousands of dollars in lost income.

For example, do you have a clear understanding of the best time to start collecting Social Security benefits? Have you considered the impact of possible spousal benefits? Are you clear on how other earnings and taxes can impact your benefits?

And when it comes to Medicare, do you understand your coverage options, deductibles and co-payments? Do you know the pros and cons of each of the various choices for Medigap policies? Are you familiar with all the confusing nuances of prescription drug coverage?

At IWA, we offer the experience and knowledge to help you make the most of your Social Security and Medicare benefits. We’ll answer all your questions with clarity, and even answer questions you may not have thought to ask, but probably should.

Important investment questions to consider:
  Asset Allocation

• What do current price levels signal about future expectations?
• What do current price levels suggest about the attractiveness or riskiness of a particular asset class?
• How are equity portfolios allocated from capitalization and sector perspectives?
• Are international equity portfolios diversified from a geographic perspective? How are these decisions made?
• How are fixed income portfolios allocated from maturity, credit-quality and issue-type perspectives? How are these decisions made?
• How is “downside risk” measured and managed?

Fund Selection

• In which cases is it best to invest “passively?” In which circumstances/conditions can actively-managed funds add value?
• Does the fund’s manager have a competitive or informational advantage that coincides with the fund’s strategy and/or investment area? 
• How closely, statistically, do a fund’s investments reflect those of its stated benchmark?

Our Investment Process
At IWA, our three-stage investment process includes:

1. Evaluating the most appropriate asset allocation strategies using a thorough, consistent, and detailed process.
2. Using enhanced qualitative and quantitative analysis to assess potential investment opportunities.
3. Selecting appropriate fund and/or security choices that balance potential returns against a client’s personal tolerance to risk.