Improving lives through sound financial planning.
Whether you call it decumulation, drawdown, or retirement income strategy, we specialize in retirement planning in Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach, VA, to help you enjoy a stress-free retirement.
TFG Retirement Planning Services

A Retirement Projection, also called a Retirement Plan, is a roadmap of your whole financial picture which considers what you will need to live after you exit the regular workforce.

Retirement Plans / Projections typically cover:

Expenses

Healthcare

Medicare

Social Security

Investments

Bank Accounts

Liabilities

Rates of Return

Will I Outlive My Money?

Have you spent more time planning vacations than planning for retirement? Many of us need help thinking about the future and how to prepare for it. We’re too caught up in the daily “stuff or immediacy of the moment” to plan for the future. How is anyone supposed to be able to think about something in the distant future?

One of the most common questions we receive is, “Will I outlive my money?” Your retirement financial advisor in VA can help answer this question by establishing your retirement goals, accounting for potential bumps in the road, creating a solid plan, and implementing a withdrawal strategy to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.

Why You Shouldn’t Do It Alone

Just the thought of retirement can cause anxiety and makes many feel overwhelmed and unprepared.

As financial planners, one of the most important values we bring to the planning meeting is that we are removed from your circumstances, employment, or any investment bias. We spend considerable time remaining current with the most effective retirement techniques, and if you are already close to retirement, we can help you ease through your financial transitions.

Many questions go beyond the basic “When can I retire?” or even “Can I retire?” These questions can all entail variables unique to the individual or couple. Some things you may want to ask yourself are:

  • How do I balance the life I live today with the life I want to live in retirement?
  • When should I take Social Security and Medicare?
  • Will I have enough money to live to the very end?
  • Can I give money to my kids or charity and still be ok?
  • What if I need assisted living? How much will that cost, and can I handle that?
  • What if I am diagnosed with cancer or a terminal disease or have a stroke?
  • Can I go on trips and cruises?
  • Will I need to sell my house and downsize?
  • What happens if I have a catastrophic event or need someone to care for me in my home?
  • Should I work for a few more years?

A certified retirement financial planner will help you ask yourself the right questions and share our experience and expertise to guide you through the best path.

What Does Retirement Look Like to You?

Retirement plans often begin as a subset of a larger picture, the Financial Plan. Typically a Retirement Projection is only helpful once you are about 5-10 years away from retirement, which in the past has been around 50-55 years of age.

However, the look of retirement is changing. Some people want to retire early in their 30s or 40s, to spend time traveling or start a new venture. Some people retire from one career in their 40s, like the Military, only to go on to “Act II” in their careers—a whole different profession.

The general objective before retirement is to save as much as you can, and we can help you achieve your savings goals with careful financial planning and strategic investment management.

No matter your age, your retirement planning financial advisor is here to help you find the correct answers to your financial questions. You don’t have to wait until you’re 50 to prepare for your retirement.

How Do I Prepare for a Retirement Projection / Plan?

Our first step is to listen to you and establish a clear understanding of what is most important to you and what you want your retirement to look like.

Once you feel that Tull Financial comprehends your goals and you have engaged us to create your Plan, our retirement financial advisors in Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach, VA, will equip you with a list of data and documents you will need.

Documents & Information We May Request:

  • Tax returns
  • Bank account statements
  • Investment account statement
  • Mortgage statement
  • Insurance statements
  • Health care expenses
  • Trust account statements
  • Pay stubs
  • Cash flow details
  • Budget items and expenses
  • Debt and loan statements (student, auto, personal, credit card, etc.)
  • Employee benefit (401k, 403b, etc.) account statements

When all the data gathering is complete (which may entail a few additional meetings or phone calls), our certified retirement financial planners will assess, assemble, and present your Retirement Plan. If you are a Wealth Management client, we will review your Retirement Plan with you every 12-18 months to ensure you are still on track or to make any adjustments needed. If you choose to engage us as a one-time service to create your Retirement Plan / Projection, you are always welcome to revisit your Plan with us, and we can review and adjust as you require. This service may result in an additional or hourly fee, but please contact us at 757-436-1122 to inquire.

It may seem daunting initially, but having a retirement income strategy to guide you as you transition from the regular workforce to your next adventure will be worth the paperwork and help you enjoy a more stress-free retirement. Our skilled and friendly retirement planning team will walk you through every step of this important process, and we are always available to answer your questions.

Are we a good fit for you?
The Story of
Frank & Celia
Video Cover Image

It was an atypically cold day in Chesapeake when Frank and Celia* first blew through our doors many years ago. Shaking the icy rain off their coats, they gladly accepted mugs of hot coffee as they explained why they braved the awful weather to visit.

“I’m only five years away from retirement,” said Frank, “and I’m not sure I have enough.” “At least not enough to live the way we want to,” chimed in Celia, “not to live the way we do now. I don’t want to have to downsize – at least not yet.” She shot a worried glance at her husband.

Robin Tull had seen this many times before and knew how to set the two lawyers at ease. He said, “Paint me a picture of what you want your retirement to look like.” Listening intently, he heard their dreams of travel and raising horses but also found that they had been focusing on their kids, sending them to the best schools, paying for weddings, and helping out other family members financially. They had been adding regularly to their employer benefit plans and had several other CDs and IRAs set up, but they were just a little behind in hitting their comfort zone for retirement savings.

For a more accurate picture, they decided to do a Retirement Projection, taking into account the unusual longevity that seemed to run in both their families – Frank’s mother had just turned 99! Armed with a real plan and their last child graduating college, the couple made a concerted effort to save as much as they could over the next five years. Not only did they hit their “magic number,” but they hit it early and surpassed it!

As Wealth Management clients of TFG, our retirement planning team helped Frank and Celia design a retirement income strategy to give them the lifestyle they were used to, plus the ability to cross off items on their bucket lists, such as doing a bike and food tour of Europe. Knowing they had an actual decumulation budget in place, plus the potential to leave gifts to their kids and grandkids one day, allowed them much more peace of mind after leaving the workforce.

Now eight years into their retirement, Frank and Celia are doing well, experiencing just a few bumps in the road, such as Frank’s cancer scare and their oldest child asking them to buy his house because he could no longer afford it. Our team was there to guide them through, answering every question, brainstorming the most cost-effective home healthcare solutions, and even helping mediate the tough money discussions with their son.

It’s been over a dozen years since we first met Frank and Celia, but we look forward to walking alongside them in their retirement journey and helping them live their best lives to the very end.

*To protect our client’s privacy, names and some details have been changed.