How to Make the Most of Your Savings After You Retire

For many people, retirement is one of the biggest financial goals—and one of the biggest questions. Whether it’s just around the corner or still years away, the challenge remains the same: how do you turn the money you’ve saved into an income stream?  

This is a significant financial and emotional shift. Transitioning from building wealth to drawing from it—especially without a regular paycheck—can be unsettling. It’s not just about having enough saved; it’s also about having a clear strategy for how and when to access what you’ve built.

At the heart of our firm is a clear purpose: helping you shape your lifestyle and legacy through thoughtful planning and investing. Led by our founder, Michele De George, our team is dedicated to guiding you through this transition with clarity, confidence, and care—always with your desired lifestyle and legacy as our compass.

Here are just a few key considerations we help you think through—and that we revisit periodically as circumstances change:

✅ Social Security Isn’t Just About Timing—It’s About Integration 

Most people know they can begin taking Social Security as early as 62 or wait until 70 for a higher benefit. However, what’s often overlooked is how Social Security fits into their broader income strategy.

For example, delaying benefits might allow your portfolio more room to grow, but it also means you’ll rely more heavily on withdrawals early on. Conversely, claiming earlier may reduce your monthly benefit but could free up investment assets to remain untouched longer.

In many cases, Social Security works best when viewed not in isolation but in conjunction with your investment income and lifestyle.¹

✅ Which Accounts You Withdraw From—and When—Can Affect Your Taxes for Decades

Your retirement portfolio is typically divided into three broad categories based on its tax characteristics:²

• Taxable (e.g., brokerage accounts)
  
  
• Pre-tax (e.g., traditional IRAs, 401(k)s)
  
  
• Post-tax (e.g., Roth IRAs)

How you sequence withdrawals from these accounts can impact your current tax bracket, the amount of Social Security taxed, and even the premiums you pay for Medicare. One approach to consider is withdrawing from taxable accounts first, then pre-tax, and reserving post-tax accounts for later. 

But there are nuances. For instance, taking smaller IRA withdrawals earlier in retirement may be beneficial—even before they’re required—if you’re temporarily in a lower tax bracket. This kind of “bracket management” can help smooth out taxes over time.

Before discussing specifics, we encourage you to consult your tax, legal, and accounting professionals for insights tailored to your situation.

✅ Flexibility Can Help Manage Market Risk in the Early Years of Retirement

One concept we often discuss is “sequence risk”—the danger of retiring just before or during a market downturn. Taking withdrawals while your portfolio is temporarily down can hinder its ability to recover.²

We help manage this risk by incorporating flexibility into your strategy:

• Establishing short-term cash reserves
  
  
• Adjusting withdrawals if the market drops
  
  
• Being thoughtful about discretionary spending in the early years of retirement

Having a strategy for responding to market volatility can alleviate stress and enhance long-term outcomes.³

✅ RMDs—and Future Tax Liability—Can Be Approached Proactively

Required minimum distributions (RMDs) start at age 73. While they may seem like a distant concern, early preparation is wise. RMDs are taxed as ordinary income and can push some individuals into higher tax brackets, especially when other accounts are considered.^4,5 

We often model different withdrawal patterns to balance current income needs with future tax exposure, and in some cases, we explore Roth IRA conversions to manage taxable income later in retirement and eliminate RMDs altogether.^3,6

Bottom Line: Retirement Income Isn’t One Decision—It’s a Strategy

Retirement income isn’t a single choice or a fixed formula—it’s an ongoing process. We’re here to help you approach retirement with confidence and a strategic mindset.

^Source: 

^{1.  USAToday.com, March 20, 2025}

^{2.  SmartAsset.com, October 14, 2024}

^{3. Fidelity.com, November 20, 2023}

^{4. IRS.gov, March 2025}

^{5. PlanAdviser.com, December 20, 2024}

^{6. SmartAsset.com, March 2025}