1. Define Your Retirement Vision

The foundation of your financial blueprint.

Every great strategy starts with understanding your lifestyle goals. We begin by mapping out what retirement looks like for you—whether that’s global travel, giving back, time with family, or simply peace of mind.

We help you:

• Identify lifestyle expectations and potential changes over time.

• Factor in inflation, healthcare, long-term care, and legacy goals.

• Determine your desired retirement age and longevity expectations.

• Clarify needs vs. wants to build flexibility into your plan.

Outcome: A personalized vision that guides the structure and pacing of your income strategy.

2. Inventory & Optimize Income Sources

Maximize what you’ve built.

Your retirement income will likely come from a combination of sources. We analyze and sequence them for efficiency, stability, and tax impact.

We help you:

• Coordinate Social Security and pension claiming strategies.

• Evaluate annuity income streams and distribution schedules.

• Align investment account drawdowns with your income needs.

• Create income “buckets” (e.g., guaranteed, flexible, growth-oriented).

Outcome: A sustainable income stream tailored to your lifestyle and optimized for long-term efficiency.

3. Tax-Aware Planning

Keep more of what you earn and withdraw.

Retirement can be one of the most tax-intensive periods of life—especially for high-income households. We design income strategies with tax efficiency as a core component, integrating investment and withdrawal planning.

We help you:

• Use the right mix of taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts.

• Time Roth conversions and capital gains harvesting.

• Manage Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).

• Reduce taxation on Social Security and Medicare premiums.

Outcome: More net income to spend, less leakage to taxes.

4. Safeguard Your Assets & Legacy

Protect what you’ve earned—for yourself and your family.

Income plans must be designed to withstand uncertainty such as healthcare costs, market fluctuations, or unexpected life events. We include protective strategies to make sure you’re ready for anything that happens.

We help you:

• Evaluate long-term care insurance and self-insurance models.

• Align trusts, beneficiary designations, and titling with your plan.

• Protect assets from creditors, lawsuits, and unnecessary taxation.

• Integrate charitable giving and legacy goals where appropriate.

Outcome: Confidence that your income—and your wishes—are protected.

5. Build & Monitor Your Investment Portfolio

Plan. Test. Adjust. Repeat.

We construct a portfolio that generates income while preserving long-term growth. Then, we test it against multiple real-world scenarios using our proprietary SIPS® software, developed by our founder, James Gallagher, and now used by thousands of advisors nationwide.

We help you:

• Allocate your assets into purpose-driven “buckets” for liquidity, income, and growth.

• Align your withdrawal strategy with market conditions and tax efficiency.

• Simulate outcomes under various market, inflation, and longevity scenarios.

• Continuously monitor, rebalance, and refine your plan.

Outcome: A living, adaptable income strategy with built-in clarity and confidence.

Why It Works

1. Client-Centered Vision: Your goals define the roadmap, not arbitrary benchmarks.

2. Engineering-Driven Process: Every strategy is built, stress-tested, and refined for precision.

3. Integrated Expertise: Tax, investment, and planning disciplines come together seamlessly.

4. Ongoing Partnership: As your life evolves, so does your plan, as we work together.

Your Retirement, Engineered

With Waterstone, you don’t just retire—you retire with a clear, tested, and tailored plan.
Let’s build your income blueprint together.