As a fiduciary financial advisor in Winchester, Holland Capital helps couples near retirement, with one spouse still making the long drive to Loudoun County or Washington, decide whether that spouse can stop working first. Winchester couples work with us entirely through video calls and phone.
One of you still drives east every workday. The other works closer to home, or has stopped. Can the commuter stop next?
Winchester is a city of about 28,300, where about 17% of residents are 65 or older. Median household income is about $64,000. Valley Health, Navy Federal, Trex and Shenandoah University are among the area’s employers.
A long commute costs time and money. It may also bring in the larger paycheck. So the decision is whether the household can afford to lose that income first. A fixed-fee written plan tests the change against your savings, spending and the other spouse’s income. You pay for the answer, and no account has to move. Whoever you talk to, ask if they serve as a fiduciary and how their pay is structured.
The Budget Without the Commuter’s Paycheck
We take the commuting spouse’s salary out of the budget and see what remains: the other income, any pensions and your savings. We count what the end of the commute saves, such as fuel and car costs, without assuming it closes the gap.
Two Employers, Two Sets of Benefits
When one of you leaves a job, that workplace plan raises its own choices. Our guide to a 401(k) when leaving a job walks through them. We also include any change in health coverage costs when that spouse stops working.
RETIREMENT ENGINEERING™
The Order Matters
Five retirement decisions and why timing matters.
Testing Different Stop Dates
We test several stop dates, laying out household income, taxes and savings year by year. Retirement-account withdrawals that land in federal adjusted gross income are generally taxed by Virginia as well, unless a state subtraction applies. Social Security is subtracted on the state return. The retirement income planning for couples guide explains how two dates fit one plan.
Investing for the Years Ahead
Our investment management is optional and comes later, with the portfolio following a written investment policy statement.
How We Work with Clients in Winchester
Holland Capital Management is an independent registered investment adviser and a fiduciary. M. Chad Holland, CFA, CFP® works directly with clients and is responsible for the planning and advice.
Bring both spouses’ latest pay stubs, statements for each workplace plan and IRA, Social Security estimates for each of you and a rough monthly budget.
You receive a written plan showing when the commuting spouse can stop, for a fixed fee set before work starts. You may carry it out yourselves, give it to an advisor you already use, or have us do it.
The first conversation is free. If there is work worth doing after that, we will define the scope and cost before you decide whether to move forward.
Our offices are in Charlotte, North Carolina and Winter Park, Florida. We work with clients in Winchester by video and phone.
We work with clients throughout Virginia. You can see the other Virginia communities we serve here.
Our what we do page explains how a planning engagement works.
RETIREMENT ENGINEERING™
The Order Matters
Five retirement decisions and why timing matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can One of Us Retire While the Other Keeps Working?
It can work, depending on the income that remains, your savings and your spending. We show the numbers for each date you are considering.
Why Look for a Fiduciary Financial Advisor for This Choice?
Holland Capital acts as a fiduciary when providing financial planning and investment advice. With a commuting couple, we may advise keeping the paycheck a while longer if your plan needs it.
Planning is a fixed fee agreed before we begin; later investment management carries a separate fee we spell out first.
How Does Working Together Work from Winchester?
The work happens by video and phone. You share documents through a secure link, and we schedule meetings around both of your work weeks.
Photo: AgnosticPreachersKid / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
