You work directly with Aaron Randak, CFP®, EA in Scottsdale

Retirement income planning

Social Security, withdrawals, Roth conversions, RMDs and Medicare, planned around your taxes by a Scottsdale CFP® professional and Enrolled Agent. Fee-only fiduciary, no commissions.

Book a free call Take the 60-second quiz or call (480) 916-9554
A couple in their sixties walking hand in hand on a desert trail at sunset

Retirement is a tax problem before it’s an investment problem.

A withdrawal changes your bracket. Your bracket changes your conversion window. Your income changes your Medicare premium. We plan them together.

See your own paycheck mix on a free call

You spent decades saving for this. Let’s plan what it pays for.

A grandmother in a blue shirt rolling out cookie dough with her granddaughter while her husband watches with a coffee
More afternoons like this one.
A couple at a coastal overlook above a seaside village, looking out at the view
The trip you kept postponing
A couple on the sofa smiling as they read through papers together
Big decisions, made together with the numbers in front of you

The decisions, in the order you’ll meet them

Eight decisions, from the years before you retire to the plan your spouse inherits. Each one changes the math on the next.

  1. Before5 to 10 years out

    Choosing a retirement date

    We model income, taxes and healthcare for each date you’re weighing before you commit.

  2. RetiringPension choices

    Pension: lump sum or annuity

    Single or joint life, lump sum or monthly check. We run the options you already have.

  3. Gap yearsBefore required distributions

    Roth conversions in the gap years

    Often your lowest-tax years. Roth conversions can use that room to shrink future RMDs.

  4. YearlyEvery year of retirement

    Withdrawal order

    Taxable, traditional and Roth accounts are taxed differently. We set the order you draw from them each year.

  5. 62–70Social Security

    Social Security claiming

    Each month you wait raises the benefit until 70. We weigh break-even, survivor benefits and taxes before you file.

  6. 63 → 65Medicare

    Medicare’s income surcharge (IRMAA)

    Your income at 63 sets your Medicare premium at 65. We plan it around the surcharge thresholds.

  7. 73–75By birth year

    RMDs and QCDs

    From 70½, gifts paid directly from an IRA to a charity (QCDs) can later count toward your RMD without adding to taxable income.

  8. LaterThe surviving spouse

    Survivor planning

    After the year of death, a surviving spouse without a dependent child files as single, often in a higher bracket. We build the plan so either of you can follow it.

One fee covers all five services

Retirement planning is included in the advisory fee, with the four services listed here.

1.50% on the first $250K, 1.25% to $500K, 1.00% to $2M and 0.75% above. Blended, billed quarterly in advance, negotiable, no account minimum. Tax return preparation is a separate flat fee.
See the full fee schedule Check our public record (IAPD), CRD #337930
Retirement Planning You’re here Investment Management Portfolios run to fund the income plan Tax Planning From an Enrolled Agent, admitted to practice before the IRS Estate & Legacy Planning Coordinated with your attorney Inheritance & Windfalls Inherited IRAs and the ten-year clock

Fair questions, straight answers

When should I start retirement income planning?
Ideally five to ten years before you retire, while Roth conversion windows and Social Security timing are still open. Starting later still helps: withdrawal order and RMD planning change your after-tax income.
Does Arizona tax my retirement income?
Arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax and does not tax Social Security benefits. Federal thresholds like IRMAA still apply.
Do I need a certain amount saved to work with you?
No. There is no account minimum. Retirement planning is included in the advisory fee, and a one-time flat-fee plan or hourly engagement is available if you are not ready for full management.
What about Roth conversions? Are they always a good idea?
No. In the right years they can lower lifetime taxes. In the wrong ones they can trigger IRMAA surcharges or tax more of your Social Security, so the person who sees your tax return runs the numbers.
Will you manage my investments too?
Yes. The portfolio is managed to fund the income plan, with cash set aside for near-term spending and tax-aware placement for the rest. The advisory fee covers both. Tax return preparation is a separate flat fee.

Find out what your retirement pays you.

A free 30-minute Zoom call with Aaron, for clients in Scottsdale, Phoenix and beyond. No pitch; bring your questions.

Roth conversions for this year must be done by December 31, and so must most required distributions. A first RMD can wait until April 1 of the following year.

Book a free call Take the 60-second quiz or call (480) 916-9554