Retirement is within reach, but the shift from building savings to living off them is unlike anything you've navigated before, and the questions that come with it are real.
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Most people in their 50s and early 60s aren't wondering about abstract financial theory. They're carrying specific, urgent questions: Do I actually have enough saved? When should I start Social Security to get the most out of it? What do I do about health insurance if I retire before Medicare kicks in at 65?
At A5 Financial, retirement planning for pre-retirees in the Seattle area means working through each of these questions with numbers, not generalities. We model your income, expenses, investment growth, and Social Security timing across a 30-plus-year horizon so you can see exactly where you stand.
The Retirement Readiness Review is A5's structured assessment for pre-retirees who want a real answer to the question "Am I ready?" — not a sales pitch dressed up as a plan.
We run detailed scenarios comparing early, full, and delayed claiming strategies against your specific income picture, portfolio size, and health outlook.
We factor ACA marketplace coverage and COBRA continuation into your pre-retirement budget so healthcare costs are planned for — not discovered after the leap.
We review your 401(k) and investment mix, identify dangerous concentrations, and make adjustments on a deliberate timeline.
If you work at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, or a Seattle-area startup, the five years before retirement are often the most consequential tax planning window of your financial life. We help tech professionals sequence equity events, manage concentrated stock positions, and execute Roth conversions deliberately.
The honest answer depends on your specific income needs, planned expenses, Social Security timing, and how long your money needs to last. A detailed retirement readiness analysis — one that models your full picture across a 30-plus-year horizon — will tell you.
There's no single right answer, but the decision has lasting consequences. Claiming early reduces your monthly benefit permanently; delaying past full retirement age increases it. We run a full comparison of your scenarios before recommending a strategy.
You have two primary options: COBRA continuation coverage from your employer plan, or an ACA marketplace plan. We factor healthcare costs into your pre-retirement budget so this isn't a surprise.
For many pre-retirees, the years between now and retirement represent the last window to convert pre-tax savings to Roth at relatively favorable tax rates. We model the scenarios before recommending a path.
At A5, you work directly with John Carruthers CFP® and Neil Fenning CFP®. Our focus is on building a retirement plan that fits your life, not on moving assets to a platform that benefits us.
We get it, new questions come up all the time. So, send us a message whenever it works best for you. We’ll get back to you and help chart your course toward a fulfilling future.
