Retirement Planning For Individuals

From Scattered Savings to Retirement Clarity

Jack and Diane are exactly the kind of people we love working with at True North Wealth. They're hardworking Hoosiers who did everything right—saved consistently for decades, raised a family, and are now looking ahead to the next chapter. When they found us, they weren't looking for someone to overcomplicate their finances. They wanted someone to help them make sense of it all.

Jack (61) works at a local manufacturing plant where he's put in 30+ years. He has a pension, a 401(k), and some old IRAs from previous jobs he'd nearly forgotten about.

Diane (59) is a teacher at the local high school with INPRS pension benefits, a 403(b), and a small Roth IRA she started years ago after reading about it in a magazine.

Together, they have about $650,000 in investable assets—scattered across seven different accounts with three different companies.

When Jack and Diane sat down with us for the first time, they were tired. Not of working—they both still enjoy what they do. They were tired of wondering. 

• "Can we actually afford to retire in 3-4 years?"
• "What happens to our income if the market tanks right when we retire?"
• "How do we turn all these different accounts into a paycheck?"
• "Are we taking too much risk? Not enough?" Sound familiar? You're not alone.

1. Simplified Their Financial Picture

We consolidated their seven accounts down to three—a Traditional IRA for Jack, a Traditional IRA for Diane, and Diane's Roth IRA. Fewer logins, fewer statements, and a lot less confusion.

2. Created a Retirement Income Plan

We mapped out exactly how their income will flow in retirement:

• Jack's pension kicks in at 62, providing a stable base
• Diane's INPRS pension starts when she's ready (she's eyeing 62 as well)
• Portfolio withdrawals fill the gap using dynamic guardrails—when markets do well, they may get a raise; when markets struggle, we make modest temporary adjustments
• We identified a Social Security strategy that works for their specific situation

3. Built Their War Chest & Aligned Their Investments

Here's what keeps most retirees up at night: What if the market crashes right after I retire?

We addressed this by setting aside approximately 5 years of their expected expenses in cash and high-quality bonds—their War Chest. Historically, this buffer has provided enough stability to ride out most market downturns without being forced to sell stocks at the worst possible time.

The rest of their portfolio stays invested in a globally diversified mix of stocks—their Growth Engine—which powers their income for decades to come.

Jack's old 401(k) was sitting in a target-date fund that was far too conservative for their 30+ year retirement horizon. Diane's 403(b) had high-fee funds eating into her returns. We moved everything into low-cost, globally diversified portfolios designed for where they're going—not where they've been.

Jack and Diane now know exactly where they stand. They have a clear plan that shows:

• They can comfortably retire in 3 years if they want—or work a bit longer for extra cushion
• Their target retirement income of $6,500/month (net) is achievable and sustainable
• They have a War Chest that protects them from market volatility
• Their investments are finally working together instead of scattered everywhere

"We finally feel like we have a plan. For the first time in years, we're actually excited about retirement instead of anxious about it."
— Jack & Diane 

Building Wealth One Paycheck at a Time

Kyle and Ashley aren't looking for anything complicated. They just want their money invested well, someone they can text if a question comes up, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing a professional is in their corner. That's it.

They know retirement is a long way off—but they also know it'll be here before they know it. They wanted someone they could trust to manage their money, help them get out of a 401(k) with limited investment options, and make sure they're doing the simple things right.

Kyle (42) recently left his job of 12 years. He'd been contributing up to his 401(k) match the whole time and had about $85,000 sitting in a target-date fund he picked years ago and never looked at again.

Ashley (38) has a small Roth IRA she opened a few years back but hasn't been consistent with contributions. Between student loans and life, investing always felt like something she'd get to eventually.

Together, they have about $110,000 in retirement savings and a long runway ahead of them.

Kyle and Ashley weren't stressed about retirement—it still felt far enough away. They just wanted someone in their corner to manage their money, get access to better investment options than Kyle's old 401(k) offered, and make sure they were doing the simple things right.

1. Rolled Over Kyle's Old 401(k)

Kyle's old 401(k) was limited to the investment options his former employer offered. We rolled it into a Traditional IRA, giving him access to a wider range of low-cost investments and more flexibility going forward.

2. Got Ashley's Roth IRA on Track

Ashley's Roth had been sitting idle. We invested it appropriately for her timeline and set up automatic monthly contributions so she's building wealth consistently without having to think about it.

3. Aligned Their Investments with Their Timeline

We made sure their investments were doing what they needed to do—nothing more, nothing less. Simple, low-cost, and built for where they're headed.

Kyle and Ashley now have a simple investment setup:

• Kyle's Traditional IRA: globally diversified, low-cost, professionally managed
• Ashley's Roth IRA: same approach, with automatic contributions
• A plan they don't have to babysit

"We always knew we should be doing something with our money. Now we actually are—and we don't have to overthink it."
— Kyle & Ashley