Episode 11: Three Things to Do Within Five Years of Retirement

If you're within five years of retirement, the questions start getting louder. When do I take Social Security? When can I actually retire? How much can I spend? What if the market drops right after I stop working? Sam Buchanan, CFP®, and Johnson Rhett, CFP®, ChFC®, walk through three shifts that matter most in that window — and why the strategy that got you here isn't the one that carries you through. In this episode: Set it and forget it is no longer a strategy. A durable, hands-off approach works well during your accumulation years. Applied to your entire financial life as retirement approaches, it leaves the biggest questions unanswered — and most people aren't actually forgetting about it. They're thinking about it constantly. Stop consuming, start planning. Reading another article or watching another forecast feels like progress. It isn't the same as having answers specific to your situation, your goals, and your tax picture. Reframe what retirement is for. The magic number isn't magic. People with $500,000 and people with $10 million ask the same questions. Three questions worth sitting with before you set a date — including whether you're retiring toward something or away from something. Build the retirement paycheck. Your portfolio's job changes when the paychecks stop. The only benchmark that matters is whether you're on track for your goals — not what the index did. For more on how the income structure works, listen to Episode 2 on bond ladders. Branning Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary firm with offices in Jackson, Mississippi and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, serving clients nationwide. Learn more at branwealth.com . This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult your tax professional regarding your situation.