Retirement Projections
Bringing Clarity, Confidence, and Direction to Your Retirement Plan
One of the most important components of comprehensive financial planning is developing accurate, realistic retirement projections. These projections help clients understand whether they have enough to retire, when they can comfortably transition out of the workforce, and how to structure their withdrawal and tax strategies throughout retirement.
At Greenbush Financial Group, our retirement projection process is designed to give clients clarity and peace of mind as they approach one of life’s biggest financial milestones. Using time tested assumptions and personalized data, we model long-term financial outcomes so clients can make confident, informed decisions before entering retirement.
What Are Retirement Projections?
Retirement projections are detailed financial forecasts that estimate how your income, expenses, investments, and retirement benefits will support your lifestyle over several decades.
These projections help answer the most essential retirement questions, including:
Do I have enough money to retire?
When can I realistically retire?
Will my savings last throughout my lifetime?
How much can I safely spend each year?
How should I structure withdrawals to minimize taxes?
How do Social Security, pensions, and investments coordinate?
By building these projections early—before retirement begins—we give clients time to adjust their savings, refine their strategies, and gain confidence in their transition plan.
Key Components of Our Retirement Projections
Our projections integrate every major part of a client’s financial life to create a comprehensive, accurate outlook:
1. Assumed Rates of Return
We assign investment return assumptions based on the client’s investment strategy, risk tolerance, and the types of accounts that comprise their total asset picture.
2. Inflation Rates
Future costs of living, healthcare, and lifestyle expenses are modeled using realistic long-term inflation assumptions.
3. Social Security Filing Strategy
We compare filing at 62, full retirement age (FRA), and age 70—including spousal and survivor strategies—to identify the most productive long-term approach.
4. Annual Expenses and Lifestyle Spending
We conduct a detailed analysis of each client’s estimated annual retirement expenses, often identifying missing or understated expenses that clients may not have considered when completing their personal expense planner.
5. Healthcare and Medicare Costs
We model Medicare premiums, supplemental insurance, out-of-pocket costs, and pre-65 healthcare scenarios.
6. Life Expectancy and Longevity Risk
We select a life expectancy customized to each client to guard against a shortfall in assets in the later years of retirement.
7. Tax Strategy and Withdrawal Planning
We incorporate tax-efficient withdrawal sequences across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts.
Our planning software pulls all these variables together to build a clear, realistic, and thorough roadmap for retirement.
Customized Retirement Projections for Every Individual and Family
Retirement is not one-size-fits-all—and neither are our projections.
Each client’s plan is uniquely tailored to reflect their goals, obligations, and lifestyle preferences, including:
Relocating to a new state in retirement
Funding future weddings for kids
Planning home renovations in retirement
Supporting aging parents or adult children
Purchasing a second home
Adjusting for part-time income or consulting work
Charitable giving objectives
Travel or seasonal living expenses
We design every retirement projection to reflect the client’s reality, not a generic template.
Creating Peace of Mind Before You Retire
The purpose of retirement projections isn’t just numbers—it’s confidence.
Our goal is to ensure clients:
Understand where they stand financially
Know which factors matter most in their retirement decision
Feel confident stepping away from a paycheck
Have clarity on how much they can safely spend
Enter retirement with direction and peace of mind
Have a plan for taxes, healthcare, withdrawals, and long-term sustainability
A strong retirement projection transforms uncertainty into preparation—and preparation into confidence.
Next Step
If you're approaching retirement—or simply want clarity about the road ahead—we can help you build personalized, conservative retirement projections that create confidence and peace of mind.
A clear retirement plan today leads to a confident retirement tomorrow.
Our Retirement Planning Blog Articles
“I first came upon Michael and Greenbush Financial Group by reading his blog and I decided to email him and ask him a question about my 403B and retirement allocation. Low and behold, Michael emailed me immediately and asked if I would like to discuss it further. Michael sent me a calendar of dates to choose from and we scheduled a 30 minute call. Michael was lovely. He listened to me carefully and share very pertinent information with me. I felt that he truly heard me and cared about my situation. I felt that his guidance was concise, professional and expert. He gave me similar advice to my local CPA, but I was able to understand it better so I trusted his advice. Just 30 minutes to so much understanding of what I need to do to going towards retirement. I can’t thank Michael enough. I highly recommend reaching out and scheduling a 30 minute meeting with Michael for anyone who has questions about the direction they should take for their portfolio and especially those who are close to retirement.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
This endorsement provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on Google Review was made by a non-client, and it was a non-paid review. This non-client was solicited by Greenbush Financial Group, LLC to provide the endorsement.
“I found out about Michael reading his expose about Medicare supplemental plans. Of everything I have read, his piece was the most efficacious, informative, and easy to understand. As a matter of fact, I followed up with a call, and even though he didn’t make a cent off me…he willingly spent time at the end of his day, talking me through some of my specific issues, and answered a slough of questions I had about Medigap Plans and the advantages of one choice over another. I would trust Michael with any endeavor for which I needed help…finances, insurance, retirement planning. Thank you Michael! (Cat) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
This endorsement provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on Google Review was made by a non-client, and it was a non-paid review. This non-client was solicited by Greenbush Financial Group, LLC to provide the endorsement.
“Greenbush Financial Group provides great customer service - timely responses and clear communications. Their knowledge of current tax and retirement planning options is so valuable.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
This testimonial provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on Google Review was made by a client, and it was a non-paid review. This client was solicited by Greenbush Financial Group, LLC to provide the testimonial.
“We have worked with this firm for 4 years. They have assisted us with pre and post retirement planning. The Greenbush team is reliable and responsive to all of our questions. They are proactive in the market conditions and have grown our portfolio. I highly recommend this firm for investments and tax planning. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
This testimonial provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on Google Review was made by a client, and it was a non-paid review. This client was solicited by Greenbush Financial Group, LLC to provide the testimonial.
“This gentleman took the time to talk with me about my future retirement ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
This endorsement provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on Google Review was made by a non-client, and it was a non-paid review. This non-client was solicited by Greenbush Financial Group, LLC to provide the endorsement.
“Such great insight! Especially about the blend between pre-tax and after-tax withdrawals = way more nuanced than the typical advice.”
This endorsement provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on YouTube was a non-solicited and non-paid comment by a non-client.
“Wonderful information”
This endorsement provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on YouTube was a non-solicited and non-paid comment by a non-client.
“This was such a clear explanation of how to really stretch your retirement dollars! It’s amazing how much difference these strategies can make in the long run.”
This endorsement provided for Greenbush Financial Group, LLC on YouTube was a non-solicited and non-paid comment by a non-client.
Frequently Asked Questions About Retirement Planning
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How do I know if I’m financially ready to retire?Through detailed retirement projections, we evaluate income sources, expenses, and the longevity of your assets to determine readiness.
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At what age should I retire?The optimal age depends on finances, lifestyle goals, Social Security strategy, health, and projected expenses. Projections help identify your earliest and safest retirement date.
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How much should I expect to spend in retirement?We help build a customized retirement budget based on lifestyle, health, housing, and future obligations.
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What happens if market returns are lower than expected?We stress-test your plan with conservative return assumptions and poor market scenarios to ensure long-term sustainability.
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How does the age I claim Social Security affect my retirement plan?Filing early reduces benefits, while delaying increases them. We model options to determine the optimal filing age for your situation.
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How do taxes affect my retirement income?We incorporate tax strategies and analyze Roth conversions, RMDs, and Social Security taxation to improve long-term after-tax income.
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Should I change my investments as I approach retirement?The answer is often, “yes”, but not for everone. We evaluate risk level, portfolio allocation, and income needs to align investments with your retirement timeline.
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How often should I update my retirement plan?At least annually—or sooner if there are major life changes, market events, tax law changes, or shifts in goals.
Contact Us . . . .
All of our services start with a complimentary consult. No high pressure sales tactics. We are financial planners, not salesmen. Schedule Yours Today.
About Our Firm: Greenbush Financial Group is an independent registered investment advisory firm based in Albany, New York, that provides four main services to clients: fee-based financial planning services, investment management, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and retirement planning services. The firm serves clients locally in the Albany region and virtually across the United States.
