One of the most common questions we hear is, “How much money do I need to retire comfortably?” It’s a valid question, but the answer isn’t a single number. It’s a personalized plan that reflects your values, lifestyle, and long-term priorities.
Unfortunately, we often meet people who’ve relied on generic retirement calculators and drastically underestimated what they’ll need. Important elements are overlooked or forgotten. Having an advisor who understands your family and can provide an experienced second set of eyes helps build a plan that’s truly unique to you.
Unlike generic calculators, a customized cash flow plan allows you to make intentional choices around spending, saving, giving, and transferring wealth. It aligns your finances with your values while minimizing surprises along the way.
What Does a Comfortable Retirement Mean?
So what does a comfortable retirement actually mean? In East Tennessee, it often means peace of mind—never second-guessing everyday spending and knowing you have a plan in place. That includes travel, supporting adult children or aging parents, charitable giving, maintaining multiple properties, planning for long-term healthcare, and creating a meaningful legacy.
Rather than guessing, you need a dynamic plan that accounts for both known and unknown factors. The details can feel overwhelming, which is why having a team to guide you through the process matters.
Establishing Your Lifestyle Baseline
Our approach starts with establishing a lifestyle baseline. Your current spending—not your portfolio balance—should be the foundation of retirement readiness. The goal is to understand real spending, not aspirational numbers. This includes everyday expenses, housing, hobbies, family support, taxes, insurance, charitable priorities, and healthcare costs like premiums and deductibles.
We also factor in changes you anticipate in retirement. Travel goals, relocation plans, or deeper community involvement all affect future spending and should be reflected in your plan.
Evaluating and Stress Testing the Plan
Next, we evaluate whether your portfolio can support that lifestyle. Many high-net-worth individuals hold a mix of retirement accounts, brokerage assets, trusts, real estate, business interests, and insurance. Understanding how those pieces work together—and optimizing them—plays a critical role in supporting your retirement goals.
We then stress test the plan using financial planning simulations. We ask questions like:
- How would market downturns impact your income?
- What if you live more than 30 years in retirement?
- How do taxes affect long-term income?
- Can your plan handle inflation and healthcare needs?
- Are legacy goals preserved in different scenarios?
These answers provide the confidence needed to move forward.
Your retirement strategy should reduce stress, not add to it. Clients often tell us that values-based planning makes the biggest difference because it connects their money to what matters most. Our team managing the complexity behind the scenes is simply icing on the cake.
There’s no universal retirement number—only a strategy that aligns your wealth with your vision for the future. Let PYA Waltman help you create a retirement plan that supports your life, your values, and your peace of mind.
Disclosure
PYA Waltman Capital, LLC (“PYAW”) is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about PYAW's investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request. Information contained within should not be construed as specific tax or investment advice. PYA-26-02
