Daniel J. Stefanski, EA

Financial planner helping employees retire early without the guesswork.

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

People have no clue what to expect from financial planners

Here is every formalized meeting that takes place in our process

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

Imagine you go on a date with someone

They offer to pay for all your meals, coffees, etc.

But in return they say...

"If you break up with me any sooner than 3 years from now

I will ask you to pay me back for all that stuff"

Do you think you would be interested in that relationship?

Probably my favorite way to think about vesting when it comes to something like a work 401(k)

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

The FIRE movement has good and bad

Good → Financial independence

Bad → Retire early *if* you have nothing to retire to

Most people I work with enjoying retirement

Figured out what to retire *to*

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

Someone comes to me and finds out they have been laid off

We had been meeting quarterly year after year

So when they called and needed to me day of, we were ready

They said the meeting was invaluable because we:

- Already had all their info

- Could answer their questions in real time

- Adjusted their plan immediately for scenarios they had in mind

If this had been their first meeting in years, or a one-time engagement

This would have been chaos

It would have also required 10x the prep and 0% of the same clarity

There is nothing wrong with one-time or hourly plans

But when life changes fast

Ongoing planning turns these emergencies into actionable advice in the same week

Bonafide “financial emergencies” are rare

Failures to plan are common

But when true emergencies arise

You want someone on your side who already knows the ins and outs of your entire picture

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

“When should I take social security?”

Your benefit varies as you take anywhere between 62-70

If you take earlier than Full Retirement Age (FRA) → Reduced benefit

Delay past FRA → ~8% increase/year until age 70

Consider taking early if:
• Health concerns
• No other income sources
• Not working
• Financial needs

Consider delaying if:
• Expecting to live long
• Still working
• Have other income sources

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

Financial plans fail when they ignore real life

The goal is not always perfection

Sometimes it is preparation

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

What actually causes financial plans to fail?

Especially for W-2 earners?

After working with more than 200 households

These 7 breakdowns show up again and again:

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

7.) Not planning for “Financial Landmines”

Landmines are events that can blow up a plan overnight

-- Death or disability
-- Long term care needs
-- Lawsuits
-- Divorce
-- Major property loss

You can’t predict them

But you can protect against them

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

If you want to be work optional pre-65

Here is your checklist of items to get in place:

• Factor in inflation
• Plan for healthcare
• Stress test your plan
• Evaluate Roth Conversions
• Have something to "retire to"
• Save more into taxable accounts
• Understand early withdrawal rules
• Manage withdrawal rates carefully

[Daniel J. Stefanski, EA @danjstefanski]

Retiring with $10M or $500k

Higher net worth ≠ better retirement

It is less about how much you have

And more about what you plan to now fill your time with

Adequate Wealth + Purpose = Retirement & Life Well Lived

If you are planning to step away from work before your friends and peers

Pause and ask:

How will you spend your days?

It is easy to say:

“I will travel and see the world.”

But for most, that alone is not enough.

Think about it…

Even if you travel 4x per year, two weeks per trip, that is only 8 of 52 weeks.

Roughly 15% of your time.

What about the other 85%?

From experience, the happiest retirees all share one thing in common:

<< They find something to “retire to" >>

Ideas recently shared with me:

→ Golfing more often
→ Woodworking projects
→ Babysitting grandkids during the workweek
→ Part time consulting to keep the skills sharp
→ Working at a local coffee shop, because you love coffee
→ Volunteering 10 hours a week for a cause they are passionate about

Retirement is not just about stepping away from work.

It is about stepping into something meaningful that maybe isn’t vital to funding your plan.