You've Spent 30 Years Earning It.
Do You Have a Plan
to Keep It?
Tax-advantaged drawdown sequences, Social Security timing models, and Roth conversion ladders — engineered to turn thirty years of accumulation into fifty years of income.
Serving dual-income couples within 12 years of retirement
The Numbers Every Pre-Retiree Should Know
Average Retirement Shortfall
Median projected gap between savings and 30-year income need for households earning $150K+
* Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey
Retirees Who Outlive Savings
Nearly half of American retirees exhaust investable assets before age 85 under unoptimized withdrawal plans
* Society of Actuaries, Retirement Risk Survey 2024
Annual Tax Drag on Unoptimized Withdrawals
Average additional annual tax burden from suboptimal account sequencing vs. a coordinated drawdown strategy
* Journal of Financial Planning, Withdrawal Sequencing Study 2023
Where do your numbers land?
A five-minute assessment produces a personalized Retirement Readiness Score — with a one-page PDF summary showing exactly where your plan holds and where it doesn't.
Retirement Planning Is an Engineering Problem.
These tables show the difference.
Roth Conversion Timing
Tax treatment of $1,200,000 Traditional IRA over 20-year drawdown
| Metric | No Conversion | Partial Conversion (Ages 60–64)↑ RECOMMENDED | Full Ladder (Vest Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Balance | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,200,000 |
| Effective Tax Rate (avg) | 28.4% | 22.1% | 17.6% |
| RMD Burden at Age 73 | $68,400 / yr | $41,200 / yr | $18,700 / yr |
| Medicare IRMAA Surcharge | $4,012 / yr | $2,108 / yr | $0 / yr |
| Tax-Free Balance at 80 | $0 | $310,000 | $740,000 |
| 30-Year Net Income | $1,847,000 | $2,104,000 | $2,389,000 |
| Lifetime Tax Savings | — | +$257,000 | +$542,000 |
† Assumes 6.2% avg annual return, 2026 tax brackets, married filing jointly, standard deduction. Projections are illustrative.
A coordinated Roth conversion ladder, executed in the five years before retirement, can permanently reduce the tax surface of a $1M+ IRA by 38–47% — without changing a single investment.
Social Security Claiming Strategy
Break-even and lifetime benefit analysis for dual-income household
| Scenario | Both Claim at 62 | Primary at 67 Spouse at 62↑ RECOMMENDED | Optimized Sequence (Vest Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Benefit (combined) | $4,820 | $5,910 | $7,340 |
| Annual Benefit | $57,840 | $70,920 | $88,080 |
| Break-Even Age | N/A | 76.2 | 78.4 |
| Survivor Benefit (max) | $2,410 / mo | $3,120 / mo | $4,650 / mo |
| Inflation Adjustment (COLA) | On lower base | On partial base | On maximum base |
| Lifetime Total (to age 90) | $1,619,520 | $1,985,760 | $2,466,240 |
| Difference vs. Early Claim | — | +$366,240 | +$846,720 |
† Based on 2026 Social Security benefit tables, 2.6% avg COLA, household PIA of $3,200/$1,900. Illustrative only.
For a dual-income household, the difference between an uncoordinated Social Security claim and an optimized sequence is often $600,000–$900,000 in lifetime benefits. The math is not subtle.
Withdrawal Strategy Comparison
Portfolio longevity across three drawdown methods — $1.8M starting balance, $9,000/mo income need
| Metric | Fixed 4% Rule | Bucket Strategy↑ RECOMMENDED | Sequenced Drawdown (Vest Method) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Withdrawal | $72,000 | $72,000 | $68,400 |
| Tax Efficiency (yr 1) | Low | Moderate | High |
| Sequence-of-Returns Protection | None | Partial | Full |
| Account Depletion Risk (30 yr) | 34% | 22% | 8% |
| Median Balance at Year 25 | $610,000 | $890,000 | $1,240,000 |
| Adjusts for Market Conditions | No | Partial | Yes — quarterly |
| Portfolio Longevity (median) | 27.4 years | 31.2 years | 38.7 years |
† Monte Carlo simulation, 10,000 scenarios, 60/40 equity/bond allocation, 2.8% avg inflation. Results are probabilistic, not guaranteed.
Your Numbers
See how your 401(k), rental income, and pension stack up.
The five-step assessment takes under six minutes and returns a scored breakdown of your current trajectory.
Four Engineering Disciplines. One Coordinated Blueprint.
Most retirement plans optimize one variable at a time. A Vest blueprint coordinates all four simultaneously — because the tax system, the Social Security formula, and market volatility interact. Treating them in isolation leaves real money on the table.
For clients 5–12 years from retirement
The window between now and retirement is when engineering decisions have the highest leverage. Decisions made today about Roth conversions and Social Security coordination compound for decades.
Account Sequencing
Optimal order of withdrawals across taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts — modeled to your specific bracket trajectory.
Roth Conversion Ladders
Multi-year conversion schedules that fill lower brackets before RMDs force higher-bracket distributions.
Social Security Timing
Claiming strategy coordinated with portfolio withdrawals to maximize survivor benefits and lifetime inflation-adjusted income.
Stress-Tested Scenarios
Each blueprint is tested against 10,000 Monte Carlo scenarios including sequence-of-returns risk, inflation spikes, and longevity tail risk.