Ritholtz Wealth Management helps engineers and DIY investors test a do-it-yourself retirement plan before the paycheck stops. The work centers on withdrawal assumptions, taxes across account types, and choices that can’t be fixed cheaply later.
You may have a spreadsheet that is better than most. A useful review doesn’t replace it with a glossy forecast; it tries to break the assumptions, then writes down which ones held up.
A plan review should test the inputs, not admire the spreadsheet
Ritholtz Wealth Management reviews the assumptions behind a DIY plan: spending, pensions, Social Security timing, cash reserves, account registrations, and concentrated holdings. Long-term research and diversification matter more here than a market call that happens to sound convincing this month.
A second-opinion plan review is especially useful when one input drives the whole answer. A withdrawal rate may look sensible until you separate fixed spending from travel, gifts, and the cost of replacing a car.
A model is only as useful as its least examined assumption.
- Withdrawal assumptions: Separate baseline monthly bills from spending you can postpone.
- Account map: List taxable, traditional, and Roth accounts with cost basis where relevant.
- Concentration: Flag employer stock or one fund that could dominate a bad year.
How much can a retirement withdrawal plan bend?
Ritholtz Wealth Management stress-tests retirement income planning by changing one assumption at a time, including a poor early market stretch, higher spending, or a delayed home sale. That is more revealing than treating an average return as a promise.
Consider a hypothetical $1M portfolio and $80K of annual spending. If guaranteed income covers $50K, the portfolio supplies $30K, or 3%. If spending rises to $100K, the portfolio supplies $50K, or 5%. The $20K difference is the question worth solving before retirement, not after a bad market.
Every investment can lose value, including the amount you originally put in. A stress test cannot prevent that loss; it can show whether a spending adjustment or larger cash reserve deserves discussion.
Put the tax drag where it does less damage
Tax-efficient investing places investments across taxable, traditional retirement, and Roth accounts with the tax treatment in view. Ritholtz Wealth Management examines the holdings and their expected distributions before suggesting a move, because selling a fund can create a gain that overwhelms a small ongoing tax benefit.
For illustration, moving $200K of a taxable holding with a 25% embedded gain means $50K of gain is realized when sold. The actual tax depends on your circumstances, but the arithmetic explains why “cleaning up” an account can be costly. Sometimes the sensible answer is to direct new contributions and withdrawals differently, then change less over time.
The shortcut: if a proposed account change creates a known tax cost today, compare that cost with a written estimate of the annual benefit. Don’t accept “more efficient” as a complete calculation.
Roth conversions deserve a model, not a slogan
Ritholtz Wealth Management can model a Roth conversion strategy alongside expected spending, future required minimum distributions, and Medicare premium exposure. A conversion means recognizing income now, so the useful comparison is several years of tax estimates, not a reflex to convert the largest possible amount.
At age 73, required minimum distributions generally begin; people born in 1960 or later generally begin at age 75. A hypothetical $40K conversion may reduce a future traditional balance, but it also raises taxable income in the conversion year. Yes, that means paying some tax earlier.
Social Security claiming and a 401(k) rollover to an IRA can alter the model. Those decisions belong on the same worksheet, even if you make them months apart.
Your questions about Ritholtz Wealth Management, answered
Is a second opinion worthwhile if I already manage my own investments?
A second opinion is worthwhile when your plan depends on assumptions you have not independently tested, especially the withdrawal amount and tax treatment of each account. Ritholtz Wealth Management can examine the logic of a DIY plan without treating your existing spreadsheet as a mistake.
Can a Roth conversion model include Medicare premiums?
Yes, a Roth conversion model should account for Medicare premiums when they apply, along with expected income and future required distributions. For 2026, Medicare IRMAA uses 2024 modified adjusted gross income, which is why a conversion should be evaluated beyond its current-year tax estimate.
When should I seek project advice rather than ongoing wealth management?
Project advice may fit a contained decision, such as testing a retirement date or comparing several Roth conversion amounts. Ongoing wealth management may be more useful when withdrawals, investment changes, taxes, and benefit decisions need repeated review as facts change.
When is limited-scope advice enough?
Hourly or project advice can be enough when your investments are diversified, your spending plan is simple, and you need an independent calculation on one decision. It is less likely to be enough when account withdrawals, taxes, employer stock, and a spouse’s benefits interact over several years.
Ask Ritholtz Wealth Management in the first conversation whether a limited review fits the issue you want examined. The firm has a $500K investable-assets minimum; the fee is discussed openly during that conversation and confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Bring the spreadsheet, recent account paperwork, your Social Security estimates, and the assumptions you dislike most. The second conversation is usually where the real question appears: “What changes if I’m wrong by $1K a month?”
Ritholtz Wealth Management advises households nationwide remotely by video conference and telephone.
This article provides general information only and is not individualized investment, tax or legal advice. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Talk to a qualified professional about your specific situation before making any financial moves.