Retirement is no longer just about stepping away from work — it’s about making the most of what you’ve built. Whether that means spending more time traveling, enjoying family, or pursuing new ventures, your focus is on preserving and growing your wealth so you can live the lifestyle you’ve envisioned. In today’s rapidly changing economic and regulatory environment, even well-prepared investors can face uncertainty. The question isn’t “How much do I need to save?” but “How do I retire on my terms and protect what I’ve earned?” As experienced professionals in retirement planning, we’re here to help you do exactly that.
Our mission is to help you turn your assets into a longer lasting, more tax-efficient income stream and help safeguard your portfolio against potential risk. Maybe you’re looking to optimize your withdrawal strategy, align your investments with your estate plan, or ensure your legacy passes smoothly to the next generation. We’ll help you design a retirement strategy more tailored to your goals — one that can help you enjoy today and stay confident about tomorrow.
Retirement Planning Video
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When cracking open your retirement nest egg, there is only one chance to do it right. And when it comes to managing it, the stakes are high. How you invest it, draw income from it, structure it and think about it plays a major role in your financial outcome. As you edge closer and closer to retirement, stress from the unknown can become overwhelming. We’re here to make your next steps easy.
The First Step? Getting to know you. We work with you closely to understand your specific challenges, goals, and dreams. Then we walk you through important retirement concepts and strategies to help create your very own retirement roadmap—empowering you with the insights and tools necessary to make decisions confidently and achieve your goals.
Why Choose The Tranel Financial Group?
Retirement Planning Built Around You
At The Tranel Financial Group, we offer comprehensive retirement planning services tailored to the needs of Illinois and Chicago residents. As experienced retirement planners in Chicago, we understand the importance of a well-structured plan that helps you enjoy your retirement years with financial confidence. With years of experience, our team is committed to providing personalized advice that aligns with your retirement goals.
While we proudly serve the Chicago area, we extend our strategies to clients in Clearwater, FL, Madison, WI, Milwaukee, WI, Lake Geneva, WI, and Tulsa, OK—helping you prepare for a future that suits your lifestyle, no matter where you are.
Experienced Advisors in Illinois and Beyond
When planning a retirement in Chicago, you need an experienced advisor who understands the region’s unique financial landscape. The Tranel Financial Group is a firm that is committed to putting your best interests first. Our Certified Financial Planners ® (CFP®) offer a comprehensive and personalized approach to your retirement planning that is stress-free and effective.
Our Growth and Income Bucket Strategy
We bring a powerful new approach to understanding and managing your money that is designed to help you enjoy an active, fulfilling retirement. So, when you are asking yourself that important question – “How do I turn a complex portfolio into a reliable income plan?” We can give you the answer.
Our bucket strategy is the foundation for generating a regular, sustainable income stream for you and your family for many years to come.
It aims to:
- Keep pace with inflation
- Protect your gains through retirement
- Help your money not only last, but grow
- Maximize your income potential
- Manage the emotional side of investing
We’re committed to teaching you everything necessary to crack open the perfect nest egg—Sunny Side Up. Learn how fundamental retirement planning concepts shape our bucket strategy. We simplify the concepts with easy-to-understand examples to help you walk into retirement with clarity and confidence.
Tailored Services for Every Retirement Stage
Retirement is not one-size-fits-all, which is why our plans are as unique as the clients we serve. We provide:
- Investment Management: Help grow and protect your savings through risk-balanced strategies.
- Tax-Efficient Planning: Use tax-deferred accounts and Roth conversions to help reduce taxes.
- Social Security Optimization: Help maximize benefits with custom claiming strategies.
- Estate Planning: Explore strategies to support asset management and beneficiary designations in line with your goals.
Retirement Planning Across the Country
We are proud to serve clients not only in Chicago but across several retirement-friendly regions:
Clearwater, FL
No state income tax, warm weather, and vibrant communities make Clearwater an attractive retirement destination. We can help you take full advantage of Florida’s retirement benefits.
Madison, WI
Enjoy affordable living and excellent healthcare. We assist in understanding Wisconsin retirement systems while protecting your nest egg.
Milwaukee, WI
Offering big-city amenities at a lower cost, Milwaukee is great for retirees looking for culture and savings. We help tailor your plan accordingly.
Lake Geneva, WI
Lakeside living and outdoor recreation define retirement in Lake Geneva. We’ll show you how to plan for peace of mind in this scenic destination.
Tulsa, OK
Low cost of living, quiet communities, and favorable tax laws make Tulsa a hidden gem for retirees. Let us design your plan for life in Oklahoma.
It all comes down to some simple math.
How can you turn your accumulated wealth into a sustainable, tax-efficient income stream in retirement? It’s a question we hear often. We can work with you to evaluate whether your current plan supports the retirement lifestyle you envision with a few key questions:
1. What do you want your retirement to look like?
2. What monetary resources do you need to reach those goals?
3. Do you have them in place already?
4. If not, what will it take to get there?
Let’s find out your financial freedom date.
Birthdays. Anniversaries. Grandkids. We’re with You for the Long Run
We help care for your wealth, but more important, we care about you. We’re readily available to help keep you on track and provide guidance when needed. We call it the Faithful Watch™. Your advisor is your partner—guiding you through market fluctuations, economic cycles, tax and estate law changes, as well as changes in your objectives and personal situation. We take our responsibility seriously, faithfully helping you navigate whatever comes your way.
After years of investing in a livelihood, it’s time to focus on life.
Ultimately, retirement is more than an account balance. It’s a lifestyle. The freedom to do what you want, when you want. An opportunity to pursue new goals. Yes, it takes wealth, but it’s not just about the capital. We’re here to help guide you to a prosperous and fulfilling retirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Areas like Lincoln Park, Oak Park, and Northbrook offer community amenities, green spaces, and access to quality healthcare—making them great for retirees.
Our advisors can guide you through Illinois-specific strategies including Roth conversions and tax-deferred investing to reduce your tax exposure.
Clearwater offers no state income tax, a warm climate, and relatively lower living costs, which may appeal to some retirees.
We offer planning around Medicare, long-term care, and prescription expenses to help protect you from healthcare shocks.
Fontana and Williams Bay offer lower-cost retirement living with the same lakeside charm.
If you’re asking yourself when to start planning for retirement—the answer is now. And wherever you are in life, The Tranel Financial Group is ready to walk with you every step of the way.
Here are some helpful resources to make your journey easier.
Get the Book
8 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Retired
Retirement isn’t just about saving money—it’s a journey into triumphing over a life of purpose and passion. Using a down-to-earth approach, this book invites readers into real-life anecdotes that entertain and help shape your ideal retirement future.
Get the Book
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Retirement Checklist
Where do you stand on the path to retirement? Let’s define your current financial health and goals.
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Complimentary 8 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Retired Book!
First Chapter
“What did you say you do again?” A partygoer, who Ray had been giving golf advice to, asked.
“I’m a personal injury attorney,” Ray answered and his wife, Elle, smiled.
“You won’t be able to say that for long.”
Ray returned her satisfied smile, but he could feel his stomach start to sink the same way it did anytime his impending retirement came up in conversation. He knew he was supposed to be excited. He knew the thought of newfound freedom was supposed to invigorate him. But the truth was, Ray was scared of retirement.
It wasn’t the financial aspect of retirement that concerned Ray. He and Elle were both high earners and had been seeing a financial advisor for years. He knew they were better prepared than most. What frightened Ray was that in two months, when somebody asked him what he did, he wouldn’t know how to answer the question.
Ray found himself lying awake that night long after Elle fell asleep. Although he was getting tired of working and could feel himself slowing down, he was suddenly worried that he was making a mistake by leaving the career he’d worked so hard for behind.
It was still weighing heavily on his mind when he woke the next morning, and when he burned an entire pan of bacon, Elle decided it was time to speak up.
“Sit down, Ray,” she said, and for a fleeting moment, he was worried she was angry he’d ruined her favorite breakfast staple. “You’ve been off since we left the party at night. Did something happen? What’s on your mind?”
Ray paused for a moment, not sure how to put into words what he was feeling. It felt silly. After all, they’d spent years daydreaming about what retirement would be like, and now that he was on the cusp of it, he felt as though he was having an identity crisis.
“I’m not sure who I am outside of work,” he said honestly, and Elle reached forward to grab his hands. “I’m not sure who I’ll be when I retire. If I don’t have something I’m working towards, then what will I do?”
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