As retirement gets closer, questions about when to stop working and how your income will change often become more immediate. You may have a date in mind, or you and your spouse may be considering different timelines and wondering how that would work.
When we first talk, those are useful questions to bring. Writing down what you’d like to discuss can help you get more out of the conversation, especially if there’s a decision coming up that you’re unsure about.
At Acadia Wealth Advisors, we begin with a free phone call, usually lasting 30 to 45 minutes. We’ll talk about what you’re considering, how we approach retirement planning, and what working together would involve.
Think about what you’d like to ask
What prompted you to reach out may be the best place to start. Perhaps work has become more demanding, a retirement date is approaching, or you’ve started wondering whether the plans you made a few years ago still make sense.
You might find it helpful to jot down a few questions:
- Could I retire when I’m hoping to?
- What would change if one of us stopped working before the other?
- How would we cover our spending once a paycheck stops?
- Are there decisions we should look at before I leave my job?
A question such as “I’d like to retire next spring, but I’m not sure what I’m overlooking” gives us somewhere to begin. We can ask questions as we talk and work out what would need a closer look.
Share what retirement might look like for your household
Your plans for retirement help explain what you need from your finances. You may want to stop working altogether, reduce your hours, move closer to family, or keep doing work you enjoy on a different schedule.
Family responsibilities can shape those plans. If you’re supporting a parent, helping an adult child, or expecting a significant change in household spending, that’s useful context to share.
If you’re planning with a spouse or partner, comparing notes beforehand may bring up questions neither of you had considered. One of you might be ready to stop working while the other wants to continue. Talking about that gives us a better understanding of the decisions you’re weighing.
You’re welcome to bring rough notes about your accounts, pension, or regular expenses if they help you explain your situation. There will be an opportunity to gather the details if we decide to move forward.
The detailed paperwork comes later
After the introductory conversation, if it makes sense to continue, we provide a checklist and work with you to gather the information needed for planning. That may include account statements, Social Security estimates, pension details, and a fuller picture of your spending.
We’ll explain what’s needed and how to share it securely. For the first call, you can focus on the questions that brought you here.
When contacting us through the website, please keep your message brief and leave out account numbers, financial statements, and other sensitive information.
Ask how we would work together
The first call gives you a chance to learn about us, too. You can ask what our retirement-planning work includes, how fees are calculated, and what ongoing help would look like.
If you’ve worked with an advisor before, tell us what you found useful and what you’d like from a new relationship. If this is your first experience with financial planning, we can explain the process and answer your questions.
Mention any upcoming deadlines, such as a retirement offer you’re considering or a date when you expect to leave your job. That helps us understand what’s approaching and discuss a sensible next step.
Arrange your first conversation
If you’d like to talk through your retirement questions, contact us to arrange a free introductory call. You can tell us what you’re considering, ask about our approach, and decide whether you’d like to take the next step.