Financial Services
One stop. Many options.
Est. 1991
New York · New Jersey
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Preparing for retirement should create excitement, not concern. Yet for many, that’s not necessarily the case.
Navigating today’s financial landscape can feel overwhelming, particularly as you approach retirement and the decisions you make carry long-term consequences for your lifestyle and legacy.
According to a recent study, 60 percent of pre-retirees do not have a plan for how much money they will spend each year in retirement and where that money will come from.* Additionally, three in four Americans are concerned about economic conditions affecting their ability to have a secure retirement.**
That’s where we come in.
At Summit Advisory Group, we bring structure and clarity to the planning process by focusing on the five essential pillars of financial success: Taxes, Retirement Income, Investments, Estate Planning, and Insurance. As fiduciaries, every strategy we recommend is designed with one objective in mind – serving your best interests while helping you make confident, well-informed decisions. Our process integrates these pillars into a coordinated financial framework rather than treating them as separate conversations. We work proactively to help reduce unnecessary tax exposure, design reliable and sustainable retirement income streams, and build disciplined investment strategies aligned with your goals and tolerance for risk. At the same time, we help ensure your estate plan reflects your intentions and that your insurance coverage protects what you have worked so hard to accumulate. The result is a comprehensive plan engineered to preserve wealth, enhance opportunity, and provide the confidence that comes from knowing every aspect of your financial life is working together with purpose.
Retirement Income Strategies
Retirement income strategies focus on helping you turn your savings, investments, pensions, Social Security, and other resources into a reliable income stream throughout retirement. The goal is not simply to accumulate assets, but to create a thoughtful withdrawal plan that considers taxes, market conditions, inflation, healthcare costs, and longevity. A well-designed retirement income strategy helps you understand where your income will come from, how much you can reasonably spend, and how to reduce the risk of outliving your money.
Wealth Management & Investments
Wealth management and investment planning involve creating and managing an investment strategy that aligns with your goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, income needs, and overall financial plan. Rather than focusing only on performance, a comprehensive approach considers diversification, asset allocation, tax efficiency, risk management, and how your investments support your broader retirement and legacy objectives. The goal is to help your money work in a disciplined and purposeful way, while keeping your long-term financial picture in mind.
IRA Legacy Planning
IRA legacy planning focuses on how retirement accounts such as traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and inherited IRAs may pass to beneficiaries in the most efficient and intentional way possible. Because retirement accounts are subject to specific tax rules, beneficiary requirements, and distribution timelines, proper planning can help reduce unnecessary taxes, avoid confusion, and preserve more of your assets for the people or causes you care about. This may include reviewing beneficiary designations, considering Roth conversion strategies, and coordinating IRA assets with your overall estate plan.
Tax-Efficient Strategies
Tax-efficient strategies are designed to help you keep more of what you earn, save, and invest by making thoughtful decisions about when and how income is recognized. In retirement, taxes can affect Social Security, Medicare premiums, investment withdrawals, required minimum distributions, Roth conversions, and estate planning. By reviewing your full financial picture, including your tax return, we look for opportunities to reduce tax drag, improve income planning, and make more informed decisions across your retirement plan.
IRA/401(k) Rollovers
IRA and 401(k) rollovers involve moving retirement assets from an employer-sponsored plan, such as a 401(k), into an IRA or another qualified retirement account. A rollover may provide greater investment flexibility, simplified account management, and more control over retirement income planning. However, rollovers should be evaluated carefully, taking into account fees, investment options, creditor protection, tax implications, required minimum distributions, and any unique features of the existing employer plan.
Asset Preservation
Asset preservation focuses on protecting the wealth you have built from unnecessary risk, taxes, market volatility, inflation, healthcare costs, and poor planning decisions. While growth remains important, many retirees and pre-retirees are equally concerned with maintaining financial security and avoiding major setbacks. Asset preservation strategies may include prudent investment allocation, income planning, insurance review, tax planning, estate coordination, and strategies designed to help protect your financial independence.
Long-Term Care Strategies
Long-term care strategies help address the potential financial impact of needing extended care due to aging, illness, or disability. Because long-term care costs can significantly affect retirement savings and family members, planning ahead is an important part of a comprehensive financial plan. Strategies may include evaluating long-term care insurance, hybrid life insurance policies with long-term care benefits, self-funding options, Medicaid considerations, and ways to protect income and assets while maintaining flexibility and dignity.
Annuities
Annuities may be appropriate in certain circumstances for individuals who want to create a predictable stream of lifetime income and are not comfortable relying solely on market-based investments for that portion of their retirement plan. While annuities are not the right fit for everyone, they can serve a specific purpose when income certainty, protection from outliving assets, or reduced exposure to market volatility is a priority. The key is determining whether an annuity fits within the broader retirement income strategy, rather than viewing it as a one-size-fits-all solution.
Life Insurance
Life insurance can be an important planning tool in certain situations, particularly when there is a need to protect loved ones, replace income, provide liquidity, support estate planning goals, or address specific family or business obligations. While life insurance is not necessarily a core need for every retiree or every financial plan, it may play a valuable role when there is a clear purpose for the coverage. The focus should be on whether the policy fits the client’s overall goals, family circumstances, and long-term financial plan.
Signature Promise →
Clarity in Strategy. Confidence in Retirement. Commitment for Life
Navigating today’s financial landscape can feel overwhelming