Why Smart Retirees Hire Seastrunk Financial (Even If They Could “Do It Themselves”)
Dear Friend,
I’m going to be blunt.
You are absolutely capable of managing your own retirement and investments. You could also cut your own hair, draft your own will, and rewire your house. People can do a lot of things themselves—right up until one small mistake becomes an expensive mess.
Retirement is a one‑shot game. You don’t get a do‑over. And the three fastest ways people accidentally blow up decades of savings are:
Timing mistakes. Starting Social Security at the wrong time, clicking the wrong box on a pension form (lifetime vs. lump sum), or taking withdrawals in the wrong order.
Tax traps. Triggering surprise Medicare surcharges, paying unnecessary capital gains, missing an RMD rule… it’s not “just taxes,” it’s a minefield.
Temperament. Selling low when markets are scary, buying high when headlines are euphoric, and turning temporary declines into permanent losses.
Here’s the deal: one of those mistakes can cost more than years of professional fees. That’s why sharp, self‑reliant people hire Seastrunk Financial to guide the one area they simply can’t afford to screw up.
What We Do (That Most DIY Plans Don’t)
CFP®‑Led Planning. Your plan is built and overseen by a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional—real planning, not sales fluff.
Stress‑Tested Strategy. We pressure‑test your retirement through hundreds of market paths (Monte Carlo analysis) and deliver plain‑English “Base Facts” pages—Expenses, Income, Withdrawals, Options—so you always know what’s funding your lifestyle and why.
Withdrawal Guardrails. We set a written withdrawal policy designed to fund today and protect tomorrow—before emotions ever enter the conversation.
Tax‑Aware Coordination. Roth conversion windows, IRA vs. Roth vs. taxable sequencing, RMD planning, and charitable strategies—mapped to your actual cash‑flow needs.
Behavioral Coaching. Markets will test you. We keep you from turning a market event into a money mistake.
Pension & Benefit Decisions, Done Right. We model lump sum vs. monthly pension, survivor benefits, and Social Security timing as part of your overall plan—not in isolation.
Why This Matters
Because retirement is about cash flow you can count on, not guesswork. Because investment returns are only half the story; sequence of returns, taxes, and behavior finish the sentence. Because you don’t want to spend your best years reading IRS publications and second‑guessing every move.
And because when life happens—bear market, new grandbaby, health change, business sale—you want a proven process and a calm guide, not a stack of blog posts.
What You’ll Get
A clear, written plan that shows exactly how your lifestyle is funded year by year.
An investment approach matched to your cash needs and risk capacity (not your neighbor’s opinion).
Ongoing monitoring and adjustments—before small detours become big problems.
Straight talk. No jargon. No sugarcoating. Just what you need to make smart decisions.
“But Can’t I Just Do This Myself?”
Of course you can. The question is: Should you?
If you enjoy spreadsheets, tax code footnotes, and staying perfectly rational in ugly markets, DIY might work. If you’d rather live your life while a CFP®‑led team handles the math, the modeling, and the heavy lifting—hire Seastrunk Financial.
Next Step: Book a short, no‑pressure Retirement Readiness Call. In 20 minutes we’ll identify the one or two areas most likely to move the needle for you. If there’s no fit, we’ll point you in the right direction anyway.
No drama. No hype. Just clarity.
To your freedom,
Seastrunk Financial
Retirement Planning & Investment Management
P.S. The biggest cost in retirement isn’t a fee—it’s a mistake. Avoid one big error on benefits, taxes, or withdrawals and you’ve likely paid for years of professional guidance. Let’s make sure you get this right the first time.
P.P.S. If you’re comparing a lump sum to a monthly pension, or wondering when to start Social Security, don’t guess. We’ll run the numbers inside your overall plan and show you the tradeoffs in black and white.
Compliance & clarity notes (plain English): This is general information, not individualized financial, tax, or legal advice. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Seastrunk Financial coordinates with your tax and legal professionals.