Spending with Confidence, Before Retirement

How One Couple Built a Plan to Enjoy Their Wealth While Protecting Their Future

This case study illustrates a common planning situation faced by many families. The individuals described are hypothetical.

Case Study at a Glance

Clients: Mark and Susan
Key Question: “How can we spend confidently in retirement while managing taxes, market risk, and our desire to leave something meaningful to our children?”

This is one of the most common questions we hear from retirees approaching or entering retirement.

Outcome: A clear spending framework, a coordinated tax strategy, and an investment structure aligned with long-term goals.

Executive Summary

Many retirees worry about three competing priorities:

1. Spending confidently
2. Minimizing taxes
3. Preserving assets for family

In this case study, we walk through how a hypothetical couple used Monument Group Wealth Advisors’ Master Planning process to build a coordinated strategy for sustainable income, tax efficiency, and long-term legacy planning.

Through structured discovery – including a Dangers, Opportunities, and Strengths (DOS) exercise and the Success Questions – we helped the couple clarify their priorities, model sustainable spending, and design a tax-efficient withdrawal strategy. The result was not simply a financial plan, but an ongoing framework that allowed them to make decisions with greater confidence.

The Question They Wanted to Answer

Mark and Susan’s question was simple to ask and hard to answer:

How do we enjoy what we’ve built without putting our future at risk?

They want to travel, spend meaningfully on family, and use their wealth intentionally – while also managing taxes, market volatility, and longevity risk.

Where They Felt Stuck

Despite their strong financial position, they hesitated. Mark’s instinct was caution – avoid mistakes, especially around taxes and investments. Susan’s concern was different: don’t delay meaningful experiences while they’re healthy.

They weren’t stuck because they lacked resources. They were stuck because the decisions were interdependent and – and they didn’t yet have a framework that tied everything together.

“We had spent years building our savings and investments, but when it came time to start using it, we weren’t sure what was reasonable.”

Mark and Susan

Why This Situation Is So Common

Mark and Susan’s situation is more common than many people realize.

For much of their lives, their financial focus was straightforward: earn income, save consistently, and invest for the future. Over time, that discipline created a strong financial foundation.

But eventually, the nature of the challenge changes.

Instead of asking how to accumulate more wealth, many families begin asking different questions:

• How much can we safely spend each year?
• How should we structure withdrawals across different accounts?
• Are we managing taxes as thoughtfully as we could be?
• Is our investment strategy still appropriate for this stage of life?
• How do we help our children without compromising our own independence?

These questions rarely have simple answers because they are interconnected. A spending decision affects taxes. Taxes affect investment strategy. Investment strategy affects long-term sustainability.

Without a structured framework, it can be difficult to see how all of these pieces fit together.

That is exactly why Mark and Susan decided to build a Master Plan.

Understanding What Matters

We began with the Dangers, Opportunities, and Strengths exercise. Each spouse completed it independently before we met together, which helped clarify the risks to address, the opportunities to pursue, and the strengths already working in their favor. 

What We Discovered

Their concerns were highly aligned. Both worried less about overspending and more about spending too cautiously because they lacked confidence in what was sustainable.

They also shared clear priorities: travel while healthy, meaningful time with family, and supporting their children at the right moments. And they had strong underlying strengths –years of discipline, a solid foundation, and collaborative decision-making.

Turning Insight into a Plan

Once Mark and Susan’s priorities were clear, the next step was translating those insights into a structured strategy.

Building the Master Plan

With priorities clarified, we built a blueprint that aligned four areas:

1. A sustainable spending strategy
2. A tax-efficient withdrawal framework
3. An investment structure built for this stage of life
4. A thoughtful approach to family support and legacy goals

The Analysis Behind the Plan

We stress-tested their plan across a wide range of market environments, incorporating inflation, taxes, and longevity assumptions. This analysis helped define a sustainable spending range with a margin of safety.

Key Decisions in the Plan

Sustainable Spending Strategy
A clear spending level and adjustment framework so they can spend without second-guessing.

Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Framework
Coordinated withdrawals across account types to manage taxes proactively over time.

Investment Alignment
A portfolio structure designed to support spending needs and reduce the odds that market volatility forces emotional decisions.

Family Support Planning
A thoughtful way to help children at meaningful times without jeopardizing long-term independence.

The Outcome
Mark and Susan gained clarity:

• They understood what they could spend confidently
• They had a plan for managing taxes over time
• Their investment strategy supported their lifestyle goals
• Their family support goals fit inside the bigger picture

Most importantly, they moved from uncertainty to confidence.

“Once we understood how everything worked together—spending, taxes, investments—it became much easier to move forward.”
– Mark and Susan

What Made the Biggest Difference

1. A Clear Spending Framework
Instead of guessing what was safe, Mark and Susan now had a spending level supported by detailed planning analysis.

2. Coordinated Tax Planning
Their withdrawals and investment decisions were aligned to reduce unnecessary tax drag over time.

3. An Integrated Strategy
Spending, investments, taxes, and legacy planning were no longer separate decisions—they worked together as part of a single plan.

Lessons Other Families Can Take

Wealth often creates new questions. Confidence around spending matters. Taxes quietly shape long-term outcomes. Investments should support the plan. And planning works best as an ongoing process – not a one-time event.

Why the Process Continues
Markets change, tax laws evolve, and life brings new opportunities. The Master Plan is designed to be revisited and refined—so decisions remain aligned with what matters most.

Is Your Situation Similar?
You may be facing similar questions if you’re wondering how much you can safely spend, how taxes may affect long-term outcomes, or whether your investment strategy truly supports your goals. Our Master Planning process is built to bring financial clarity and structure to those decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Case Study Disclosure
The individuals and scenarios described in this case study are hypothetical and are intended solely for illustrative purposes. While the circumstances presented reflect situations commonly encountered by clients of Monument Group Wealth Advisors, they do not represent the experience of any specific client. Results will vary based on individual circumstances, market conditions, and other factors.