Apollon Wealth Management is a wealth advisor for people about five years from retirement, and we sort your decisions by deadline so each one gets made with real numbers in front of you. Retirement date, Social Security, health coverage before Medicare and Roth conversions all come in a fixed order.
Many of the people we talk to at this stage own a company, so the sale or handoff of the business sits inside the same timeline. We put it on the list too.
How much do you need to save before picking a retirement date?
Take the spending you expect, subtract guaranteed income, and divide the gap by 0.04. That's a rule of thumb for the portfolio you need, not a promise about what the market will do. Returns are never certain, and investments can lose money, so we test the answer against a bad first few years.
Say a hypothetical couple wants $90,000 per year and expects $36,000 per year from Social Security at 67. The gap is $54,000. Divided by 0.04, that points to about $1,350,000. If their accounts hold $1,100,000, the date moves out or the spending number comes down, and you see that before you give notice, not after.
What age should you claim Social Security?
Claim age comes after the retirement date, because the date decides how many years your savings must cover on their own. Full retirement age is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later, and each year you wait past it raises the monthly check.
If you stop work at 62 and have enough in savings, waiting to claim often wins, since the larger check is guaranteed for life. If savings are thin, claiming earlier can be the sound choice. It's a judgment call, and we'd lean toward waiting only when the bridge years are funded without strain. Pull your benefits statement first; we start from those figures.
If you retire before 65 and Medicare is still years away
Coverage between your last paycheck and Medicare at 65 is usually the biggest surprise on the list. Your options are COBRA from your employer, a marketplace plan or a spouse's plan, and each has a different monthly cost that has to go into the spending number.
Medicare brings its own trap. Premiums in 2026 are set by your 2024 income, and the standard Part B premium is $202.90 per month for a joint income up to $218,000. A big income year at 62 or 63 can raise what you pay at 65, so we look two years back before any large sale or conversion.
Using the low-income years for Roth conversions
The years after paychecks stop and before Social Security and required distributions begin are often the cheapest time to move money from a traditional IRA or 401(k) into a Roth IRA. Required distributions start at 75 for people born in 1960 or later, so the window can be long.
The standard deduction for a married couple in 2026 is $32,200, so the first stretch of income in a low year is sheltered. Before Apollon Wealth Management suggests a conversion, we estimate its tax cost and check what it does to Medicare premiums two years later. Then we convert a set amount per year, not everything at once.
When the business is your retirement plan
If most of your net worth is the company, the retirement date is really the exit date. Our services cover business exit planning, business sale tax planning, family business succession, selling to your employees and wealth after a business sale, and we put the deadlines in one list.
We meet by video and by phone with clients nationwide, and the Miami office at 307 Northeast 1st Street, FL 33132, is there if you're nearby. The client minimum is $500K in investable assets. Use the request form to ask for a first meeting.
Your questions about Apollon Wealth Management, answered
What should a 60-year-old business owner decide first?
Decide the retirement date and the exit route together, because the sale or handoff timing sets your income for the first years. Then work through Social Security, health coverage and Roth conversions in order of deadline. Each decision gets its own numbers.
Does retiring at 62 make Medicare more expensive?
It can. Medicare premiums are set by your income two years earlier, so a large conversion or sale at 62 or 63 can lift your premium at 65. Planning the income in those years keeps the premium step predictable.
Can Apollon Wealth Management help if I have under $500K?
Apollon Wealth Management works with clients who have $500K or more in investable assets. Below that, the request form is still the place to ask, but we can't promise a client relationship. Our firm serves 528,000 clients and $7.1 billion in client assets as of 10/12/2026.
This content is general information only and does not constitute investment, tax or legal advice tailored to your circumstances. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Consult a qualified professional before making any financial or legal decision.