Helping Federal Employees Retire with Confidence
Meet Michelle Reynolds
At 60 years old, Michelle Reynolds, a Federal Program Manager under the FERS system, was approaching retirement and faced several critical financial decisions. With multiple benefits to navigate, she wanted to ensure she was making the most of her federal retirement options while avoiding costly mistakes.
Key Concerns
As Michelle neared retirement, she needed to address:
- Maximizing her FERS pension and selecting the right survivor benefit her spouse.
- Optimizing her TSP withdrawals while balancing growth and stability.
- Coordinating FEHB healthcare with Medicare to minimize costs and ensure seamless coverage.
- Minimizing taxes on her retirement income, including Social Security and required withdrawals.
- Ensuring her estate plan was structured properly to protect her spouse and children.
With so many moving pieces, Michelle sought the expertise of Granite Wealth Partners to develop a strategy tailored to her needs.
How Granite Wealth Helps
At Granite Wealth Partners, we specialize in helping federal employees navigate the complexities of their retirement benefits and financial future.
- Pension & Survivor Benefit Optimization: We conducted a detailed pension analysis, helping Michelle choose the best survivor benefit option while maximizing her FERS Special Retirement Supplement (SRS) before Social Security kicked in.
- TSP & Investment Strategy: We adjusted Michelle’s TSP allocations to balance growth with stability, ensuring her portfolio aligned with her retirement timeline. We also created a tax-efficient withdrawal strategy to reduce penalties and long-term tax burdens.
- Tax Planning & Roth Conversions: We explored strategic Roth conversions, allowing Michelle to take advantage of lower tax rates before Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) began.
- Healthcare & Medicare Coordination: We guided Michelle through FEHB and Medicare integration, ensuring she had optimal coverage at the lowest cost while avoiding unnecessary Medicare surcharges.
- Estate & Social Security Planning: We reviewed Michelle’s TSP and life insurance beneficiary designations, ensuring her estate plan aligned with her long-term financial goals. We also advised her on the best timing for Social Security benefits to maximize income and reduce taxes.
By the time her plan was complete, Michelle felt confident and prepared for retirement—with a structured withdrawal strategy, optimized benefits, and a secure estate plan in place.
Are You a Federal Employee Planning for Retirement?
Avoid costly mistakes, optimize your benefits, and create a retirement strategy that works for you with Granite Wealth Partners.
