Am I ready to retire, and do I have enough?
Whether you have enough starts with the life you want to live. Here's how we figure out if your money can carry it, with fee-only, fiduciary advice.
Whether you're ready depends on the life you want.
A target like a million dollars can be plenty for one family and short for another, depending on what they want to spend, when they claim Social Security, and how long they live. We build your plan around your family, test it, and show you what it can support, so you can retire with confidence and enjoy it.
We help you figure out what to tackle first and stay with you for every decision after that.
Nick George, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, IWA™ | Founder
There's no single number that means you're ready to retire. What matters is whether your savings, Social Security, and any pension can carry the life you want, including the go-go years early in retirement when travel and time with family are easiest. We look at what you want to spend after taxes and saving, check what your money can support, and test it against a long life, inflation, down markets, and health costs. When we run the numbers, a lot of families find they can afford more than they think. We're based in Columbus and work nationwide.
Start with the life you want
We start with what you want retirement to look like: the trips, time with family, helping the kids, the house you stay in. We look at spending as what's left after taxes and saving, so there's no line-by-line budget to build. Spending tends to be highest in the go-go years and drift down later, so we plan for that shape.
What your money can support
Your savings, Social Security, and any pension combine into the income your plan can carry. We show how much you can draw each year and the cushion or gap against what you want to spend. Plenty of retirees treat their savings like an emergency fund they never touch, and a lot of them can afford more than they think.
Testing the plan
We test your plan against a long life, high inflation, a bad decade in the markets, and a major health cost, and we show you what a bad year looks like in dollars. If the plan holds up, you have your answer.
The how and the when
Sometimes you can retire now, sometimes one or two more years changes the picture, and sometimes a few adjustments get you there. We lay out what each path costs, including what one more year of work costs you in healthy, active time, and you choose the one that fits your family. Once you know you're ready, our retirement planning page covers what comes next: your retirement paycheck, Social Security, and taxes.
What this can look like
Illustrative examples, not actual clients, and not a promise of results.
The million-dollar question
A couple with $1 million wants to know if they can retire at 63. We build their plan around the travel they want in their first ten years and find it works at that level, with a cushion for the slow-go years.
The one-more-year decision
A couple is torn between retiring now and working two more years. We show what the extra time adds to the plan and what it costs them in healthy, active years, and they pick the option that fits.
The confident yes
A saver assumes they need to keep working, but the plan shows they have enough to retire and spend comfortably. We give them the green light, backed by numbers they can trust.
How we work with you
We lead families through their biggest money decisions and show them what’s possible. We start by learning what matters to your family, then stay in your corner as life changes, with one plan that covers your investments, taxes, insurance, and estate. Pick your two money questions.
Why fee-only and fiduciary matters
Fee-only means the only pay we receive comes from the families we work with, so the advice stays about you. Fiduciary means we are legally bound to act in your best interest, at all times. We work with clients in Columbus, across Ohio, and nationwide, and everything can be done virtually.
Common questions
How much money do I need to retire?
There is no universal number. What matters is whether your savings, Social Security, and any pension can carry the life you want for as long as you need them to. We check that against your plan and test it, so you get an answer for your situation.
Is $1 million enough to retire?
It can be, for some people and not others, depending on your spending, your other income, and how long your money must last. We build your plan on your real numbers, so you know where you stand.
How much can I spend in retirement?
We work out what your savings, Social Security, and any pension can support each year and test it against down markets and a long life. Spending tends to be highest early in retirement, so we plan for more in your go-go years and less later.
Should I work one more year?
Sometimes one more year changes the plan a lot, and sometimes very little. We show what the extra year adds and what it costs you in healthy, active time, so you can decide with real numbers.
What if the market drops right after I retire?
That risk, called sequence of returns risk, is real. Your next two years of paychecks sit in cash and Treasuries, so nothing gets sold low to pay you, and bonds back that up if a recovery takes longer. We test the plan against a rough start to retirement.
Can you help if I am not in Ohio?
Yes. We are in Columbus and work with people nationwide, virtually. Fee-only and fiduciary means the answer we give you is about you.
Let's find out if you're ready to retire.
This page is general information for people exploring our services and is not investment, tax, or legal advice or a recommendation for any specific person or situation. The examples are illustrative, are not based on actual clients, and are not a promise of results. Strategies such as S-corp elections, backdoor and mega-backdoor Roth contributions, equity-comp decisions, and deferred compensation depend on your specific situation and current law, so confirm the details with a qualified professional before acting. ClearMind Capital LLC is a registered investment adviser; registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
