For 40 years, your employer handled the complexity. Direct deposits arrived like clockwork. Benefits were automatic. Your 401(k) grew quietly in the background. Everything just worked.
Now you're retired (or close to it), and suddenly you're in charge of it all. You've done everything right: saved diligently, maybe accumulated $1 million or more. But one question keeps you up at night:
"How much can I actually spend?"
It sounds simple, but it's not. Because behind that question hide two competing concerns:
Spend too much? You risk running out of money. And the last thing you want is to become a burden to your kids.
Spend too little? You risk looking back on your life with regret. Thinking about the trips you didn't take, the memories you didn't make, that you didn't say "yes!" when you had the chance.
You deserve better than guesswork.
Most financial advice treats retirement planning like following an old paper map. Rigid, outdated, and impractical the moment life takes an unexpected turn.
Our Guardrails process works like your Retirement Income GPS, giving you a clear path between overspending and underliving. No more agonizing over every purchase. No more lying awake wondering if you're being too careful or too carefree.
Found a scenic route you want to explore? Hit unexpected traffic? Your GPS recalculates without judgment, keeping your destination in sight while adjusting for the journey you're on.
The result? You'll finally have permission to enjoy what you've built.
You'll know what's possible today, understand how your plan adapts to tomorrow and, most importantly, feel confident using your money for what matters most.
Your personalized Guardrails remove the guesswork from spending decisions. Found an opportunity for a memorable family trip? Wondering if you can help with a grandchild's education? You'll have clear monthly spending boundaries that adapt as life unfolds so you can spend with more confidence, not guilt.
While others tell you to "stay the course", we make sure your investments actively respond to challenging conditions. Like adaptive cruise control adjusting to traffic, our risk-responsive approach helps protect your retirement income during turbulent times and re-accelerates when the road clears.
You've got better things to do than obsess over the markets or your account balance. We monitor your retirement income plan behind the scenes every month, ready to adapt when life brings surprises or unexpected opportunities. We'll reach out if your route needs attention. Otherwise? You're free to enjoy the journey. Your retirement plan doesn't just assume; it evolves with whatever comes next.
When you're less worried about money, something beautiful happens. You get to lean into what we call the 5 F's, priorities that make retirement meaningful: deepening Family relationships, nurturing Friendships, maintaining your Fitness, having more Fun, and finding Fulfillment. We've seen time and time again that when financial stress fades, these five areas benefit. That's what retirement should really be about.
After more than a decade helping people navigate retirement, we've noticed most advice only addresses half the challenge of retirement income planning.
Traditional approaches like the "4% rule", living off dividends without touching principal, or aiming for a "95% probability of success" only focus on one side of the equation: not running out of money.
To be clear, these approaches aren't wrong. They're just incomplete. They ignore a more subtle, but equally important risk: missing out on the life you saved for after all these years.
What about the family reunions you could host? The memorable trips while you're healthy? The meaningful gifts that could change someone's life today, not someday after you've gone?
Retirement Income Guardrails address both risks.
Static rules aren't designed to adapt when life changes course. Markets may surge or decline, healthcare needs arise, or opportunities present themselves.
Guardrails provide real-time navigation for when you can confidently spend more, and signals for when modest spending adjustments (typically just 5-10% of monthly income) might be needed during tough markets.
It's like the difference between printed MapQuest directions and a modern GPS.
This adaptive framework, tested across more than 150 years of market and economic history, integrates seamlessly with our investment approach. While Guardrails show you how much you can confidently spend, our risk-responsive investments adapt so the money is there when you need it.
We believe the greatest risk in retirement isn't financial. It's regret.
Together, we'll help you find the confidence to say "yes!" when it matters most. Because true retirement success is about ensuring your money serves your life, not the other way around.
You've saved diligently for decades but aren't sure if you can confidently transition from a company paycheck to a retirement paycheck. You need clarity on whether your resources can support the lifestyle you want. Not just to survive, but to truly live. You're caught between being too conservative (and missing opportunities) or too aggressive (and risking security).
One of you handles most financial affairs while the other is happy to let them take the lead. That person might even be capable of managing retirement income on their own. But what happens if they can't? We make sure both spouses understand the plan and feel confident about their financial future, creating a clear roadmap either of you can follow.
You meet with your advisor once a year to review investments, and they tell you everything looks fine. But they never answer your real question: "Can I actually afford this?" You still don't know how much you can really spend or how to coordinate all your resources into reliable retirement income. You're starting to wonder if there's a better way to get the guidance you really need.
You've already retired, but something's holding you back. You feel like you can probably spend more, but fear keeps you from fully enjoying what you've built. Healthcare costs loom large. Market volatility makes you nervous. You're ready to move from uncertainty to clarity and create the experiences and memories you've worked decades to afford.
We start by taking stock of your financial resources to see how they fit together: Social Security, investments, pensions, and more. We'll discuss your "5 F's" to ensure your retirement income plan is built with Family, Friendships, Fitness, Fun, and Fulfillment in mind. After all, this isn't just about spreadsheets. It's about the life those numbers should enable.
Together, we'll construct your personalized Guardrails with clear spending boundaries. You'll see exactly how different scenarios play out: different Social Security timing. Healthcare cost planning. New opportunities to pursue. Meaningful legacy options. You'll understand how your plan adapts to life's surprises.
Numbers on paper are one thing. Confidence in those numbers is another. We'll stress test your plan through history's most difficult market conditions. You'll understand not just how your plan would have behaved in the past, but why and how it adapts when the road takes unexpected turns.
*Stress testing is based on historical market conditions for illustrative planning purposes only and does not represent actual performance results.
Your plan isn't static. It's a living, breathing thing. Our team monitors your Guardrails behind the scenes every month. When your route might benefit from adjustment, we'll reach out to discuss. When everything's flowing smoothly, you'll receive simple confirmations. Either way, you're protected by a system that evolves with you, not a dusty plan in a drawer.
This is exactly what Guardrails are designed to solve. You'll have clear guidance for when modest adjustments are needed if and when conditions change. No more guilt about enjoying life or anxiety about the future. Just clarity, confidence, and control.
This is one of our most common concerns, and we take it seriously. We ensure both spouses understand the plan through separate meetings if needed. Everything is documented in plain English with clear action steps. Think of it as making sure both of you know how to use the GPS. Your Guardrails create a roadmap either spouse can follow, and we're always just a phone call away for either of you.
While many advisors focus primarily on investment management, our approach integrates ongoing retirement income planning that adapts as you go. Your Guardrails give you monthly spending clarity and adjust for opportunities or obstacles, not just annual account reviews.
Put simply: most manage investments, we manage retirement income.
We use a transparent, two-part fee structure:
Financial Planning: $99/month.
Retirement Income Planning: Asset-based fee for our full Guardrails system and investment management:
$1 - $250,000: 0.75%
$250,001 - $500,000: 0.70%
$500,001 - $750,000: 0.65%
$750,001 - $1,000,000: 0.60%
$1,000,001 - $2,000,000: 0.55%
$2,000,001+: 0.50%
No setup fees or platform fees. We use low-cost index funds to keep investment expenses minimal. Fees listed represent the annual percentage of assets under management. Investment advisory services are subject to client agreement. Fee schedules may change and are disclosed in our Form ADV Part 2.
Your first conversation with us is completely free and typically 30 minutes or less. This is simply a get-to-know-you conversation to see if we might be a good fit. We're not discussing money or trying to sell you anything.
If there's mutual interest, we'll invite you to securely share your financial information through our monitoring app for a more informed second conversation, also at no cost. We don't have account minimums, but we do our best work for people who have saved more than $500,000 for retirement and are ready to move beyond traditional retirement rules to create a plan that adapts to their life.
Yes. We are a registered investment adviser (RIA) and act as a fiduciary to all of our clients. This means we are legally required to act in your best interest at all times, not our own.
Our retirement planning and investment services are designed as a fully integrated system. Your Retirement Income Guardrails determine sustainable spending levels, while our risk-responsive investments help protect and grow the assets funding those withdrawals.
We can build in flexibility for healthcare expenses and potential long-term care needs, modeling various scenarios so you understand the impact without letting fear paralyze your spending today. Our adaptive investment approach also helps manage inflation risk, including healthcare inflation. The goal? Plan for the challenges while living for the opportunities.
This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. All investments involve risk, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Please consult your financial advisor before making decisions.
Investment advisory services provided through Christensen Group Financial, LLC, a registered investment adviser with the SEC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Christensen Group Inc. For more information about our services and regulatory filings, please see our Form ADV Part 2A
The Guardrails framework is a financial planning methodology based on historical market data, spending assumptions, and investment guidelines. It is not a guarantee of future results. All plans rely on assumptions that may not reflect actual future performance.
While we account for potential healthcare and inflation scenarios, no planning process can predict all future outcomes with certainty.
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