Every service we offer exists to answer one question: are you going to be okay?

CalSTRS and CalPERS Retirement Planning

Your pension is the foundation of your retirement. But understanding exactly what you are entitled to, when it makes sense to retire, how your benefit is calculated, and what decisions you need to make along the way requires someone who actually knows these systems.

We work with both certificated employees under CalSTRS and classified employees under CalPERS. We help you understand your pension formula, model out different retirement scenarios, and make sure you are not leaving money on the table when the time comes.

The decisions you make at retirement around final compensation, survivor benefits, and the money you have built up beyond your base pension are irreversible. We make sure you understand every option before you choose.

For Teachers (CalSTRS) →    For Classified Employees (CalPERS) →

403(b) and 457(b) Review and Management

Many teachers are contributing to a 403(b) without a clear picture of what it is costing them. High fees and complex products designed more around the seller's commission than your outcome are common in this market.

We review what you have, show you what it is actually costing you, and help you figure out what better looks like. If a rollover or restructure makes sense we handle that too.

We also help clients take advantage of one of the most overlooked opportunities in teacher retirement planning, maxing out both a 403(b) and a 457(b) simultaneously, plus catch-up contributions at 50 and super catch-up contributions between ages 60 and 63.

Retirement Income Planning

Getting to retirement is one thing. Making your money work for the rest of your life is another.

We build retirement income plans that map out every source of income available to you, your pension, Social Security if applicable, your 403(b) and 457(b), and any other assets you have. We show you what retirement looks like in actual dollars, stress test it against different scenarios, and make sure you have a plan that holds up over a 20, 30, or even 40 year retirement.

This is where the bucket strategy comes in. Every dollar has a job and a purpose so that no matter what the market does you are not forced to make bad decisions at the wrong time.

Understanding sequence of return risk →    The longevity problem →    Read our full retirement income guide →

Pension Maximization

One of the most consequential and least understood decisions you will make at retirement is how your pension gets paid out. The right structure can mean tens of thousands of additional dollars in lifetime income. The wrong one can cost you and your spouse significantly.

We run the numbers, explain every option, and in the right circumstances build a pension maximization strategy to allow you to take the highest possible benefit while still protecting your spouse.

Learn more about pension maximization →

Tax Planning and Roth Conversions

The window between retirement and when required minimum distributions begin is one of the most valuable tax planning opportunities of your financial life. We help clients build multi-year Roth conversion strategies designed to minimize lifetime tax burden and avoid common pitfalls like IRMAA surcharges and unexpected Social Security taxation.

Learn more about tax planning →

Investment Management

Ongoing fiduciary investment management built around your specific timeline, goals, and risk tolerance. No proprietary products. No hidden agendas. Just a portfolio designed to do its job as part of a broader retirement plan.

Our primary objective is not maximizing returns. It is minimizing drawdowns and protecting what you have built while still giving your money the room it needs to grow over a long retirement.

Client assets are held at Fidelity or Schwab, independent third-party custodians. We manage the portfolio, but we never take custody of your money, and you always have direct access to your own accounts.

Learn more about our investment approach →

Annuity Review and Planning

Whether you already own an annuity and want a second opinion, or you are curious whether one might make sense as part of your income plan, we provide an honest independent assessment. We only work with A rated carriers and only recommend annuities when they solve a specific problem in your plan.

Most people come to us knowing something feels off but not quite knowing what. That is fine. The assessment we do at the beginning of every client relationship is designed to give you a clear picture of where you stand and what needs attention.

The honest truth about annuities →