Financial Literacy Workshops for Retirees

The 5 C's of financial literacy are: Character (understanding your financial values and behaviors), Capacity (your ability to generate income and manage cash flow), Capital (the assets and net worth you've accumulated), Conditions (external economic factors affecting your finances), and Collateral (assets that secure your financial obligations). In retirement, these principles help you assess your readiness, manage resources wisely, and make informed decisions about income, spending, and legacy planning.

Common retiree mistakes include: withdrawing from accounts without tax strategy (costing thousands in unnecessary taxes), failing to plan for sequence-of-returns risk early in retirement, underestimating healthcare costs and longevity, claiming Social Security too early without analyzing break-even scenarios, maintaining portfolios too conservative (limiting growth) or too aggressive (risking principal), and neglecting estate planning details like beneficiary designations. Our workshops address each of these pitfalls with actionable strategies to help you avoid costly errors.

Yes. Our retirement income courses are complimentary with absolutely no cost to attend and no obligation afterward. The workshops are educational in nature—attendance does not create any advisory or fiduciary relationship. You'll receive valuable knowledge about retirement planning fundamentals, and what you do with that information is entirely up to you. If you later wish to explore personalized financial planning, that option exists, but it's never required or pressured.

Workshops are held at multiple convenient locations across Connecticut and Maryland, including Bethesda Green Center, Fairfield University, Wesleyan University, Goodwin University, Shelton Community Center, Roger Carter Community Center, Tunxis Community College, University of New Haven, and Gary J Arthur Community Center. Sessions typically run from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM and are scheduled on various dates throughout the year. Space is limited to approximately 12 participants per session, so registration is recommended.

Our comprehensive curriculum covers retirement income distribution strategies, tax-efficient withdrawal sequencing across taxable/tax-deferred/tax-free accounts, Social Security optimization, investment risk management, estate planning fundamentals including beneficiary designations and trust basics, legacy planning concepts, and strategies to protect against longevity and healthcare cost risks. Each topic is presented in clear, accessible language with real-world examples relevant to today's retirees, giving you actionable frameworks to evaluate your own situation.

Protection strategies include implementing structured withdrawal 'buckets'—holding 1-3 years of living expenses in stable assets while maintaining growth allocations for longer horizons—diversifying globally across asset classes to reduce unsystematic risk, stress-testing your plan against historical bear markets and recessions, establishing flexible withdrawal rates that adjust with market conditions, and maintaining proper asset allocation aligned with your time horizon. Our workshops teach these concepts so you can build resilience into your retirement income plan.

Yes. Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy—it's about ensuring your wishes are honored and your loved ones aren't burdened. Even with modest assets, you need proper beneficiary designations, healthcare directives, power of attorney documents, and potentially a will or revocable trust. Ninety-eight percent of effective estate planning doesn't require expensive legal work—it involves organizing account titling, updating beneficiaries, and coordinating ownership structures. Our workshops cover these essentials so you can protect your legacy efficiently.

Tax-efficient withdrawal strategies include sequencing distributions from taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts based on your annual tax bracket, executing strategic Roth conversions during lower-income years before Required Minimum Distributions begin, harvesting tax losses to offset gains, using Qualified Charitable Distributions after age 70½ to satisfy RMDs while supporting causes you value, and coordinating Social Security timing with other income sources. Our tax management workshop sessions provide detailed frameworks for implementing these strategies throughout retirement.