Retirement planning in San Francisco
RETIREMENT · FEE-ONLY
Retirement planning is mostly a sequencing problem: which dollars fund which years, and what each choice does to your taxes. ImpactAdvisor LLC plans that sequence as a fee-only RIA.
Which accounts pay for which years
Taxable, tax-deferred, Roth — the order you spend them changes what you keep, and the right order is rarely the obvious one. The years between work income and required distributions are the flexible ones; used well, they are when Roth conversions cost the least and buy the most.
The decade before RMDs is the planning window
Required minimum distributions arrive on the government's schedule, not yours — and a large deferred balance meeting a high California bracket is an expensive surprise a decade in the making. We model the look-ahead: what your accounts will force later, and what conversion, giving, and deferral arithmetic can do about it now.
Frequently asked questions
When should retirement planning start?
Earlier than the retirement date — the biggest levers, like Roth conversion windows and RMD look-ahead, work best with a decade of runway. But the sequencing question matters at any age, including after retirement has begun.
I'm already retired. Is planning still worth it?
Yes. Withdrawal order, conversion opportunities in low-income years, charitable timing, and RMD management are all live decisions after the paychecks stop.
Do you handle Roth conversion planning?
Yes — sizing and timing conversions against your bracket path is core work here, coordinated with the portfolio so the tax bill and the investments move together.