This client was a beloved teacher whose aging mother needed her support, while her daughter still required help paying for school. Although she hadn’t planned to retire for several more years, she knew she needed to step away from work to dedicate her time and energy to her mother. She also needed a plan to ensure her daughter could finish her education. At the encouragement of her CPA she reached out to us for guidance knowing, that we shared similar faith values.
How We Helped:
- Understanding Her Priorities: We took the time to listen as she shared her desire to care for her mom and continue supporting the “kids” at school who meant so much to her.
- Providing Extra Guidance: Knowing how important it was for her to understand every detail, we scheduled additional sessions to answer her questions and make sure she felt confident in her decisions.
- Clarifying Pension and Retirement Options: We helped her navigate the complexities of her pension and retirement savings, clarifying how she could make the most of her benefits.
- Crafting a Retirement Income Plan: We designed a retirement income strategy that covered her basic living expenses and allowed for memory-making trips with her mother to places they had always dreamed of visiting.
- Charitable Giving Strategy: Understanding her passion for supporting her “kids,” we introduced her to a tax-efficient charitable giving strategy. This allowed her to make meaningful contributions to support special needs children, while also saving on taxes.
Why Personalized Retirement Planning Matters
We were able to turn a challenging situation into an opportunity for her to care for her family and her community. By aligning her finances with her values, we helped her retire confidently, knowing she could make a positive difference where it mattered most.
Complicating Factors: Single income, mother’s health, education expenses, charitable giving.