Frequently Asked
Questions

The best time to start is now, regardless of your age. The earlier you begin, the more time compound growth has to work in your favor. That said, even if you are within 5–10 years of retirement, a well-structured plan can dramatically improve your outcome. We work with clients at every stage — from those just starting to save to those already in retirement managing distributions.

There is no single number that works for everyone. A common benchmark is saving 25 times your expected annual expenses — but this varies greatly based on your lifestyle, healthcare needs, Social Security income, and whether you have a pension. South Florida's cost of living, healthcare costs, and the absence of state income tax all factor in. We build a personalized retirement income projection for every client so you know exactly what your number looks like.

The first step is a no-obligation introductory conversation. We want to understand your goals, your current situation, and what questions are keeping you up at night. From there, we build a comprehensive picture of where you are and where you want to go. There is no pressure and no cost for this initial meeting. You can reach us by phone or through our contact form to schedule a time that works for you.

At large firms, clients are often passed between advisors, assigned to junior staff, or given generic advice built around the firm's product lineup. At Vintage Wealth Capital, you work directly with one of our founders — always. We are a boutique firm by design. We limit our client base intentionally so every person receives the attention, consistency, and personalization they deserve. We also use the same advanced planning tools as major institutions, so you get both worlds.

We operate on a fee-based model, meaning our compensation is tied to the assets we manage on your behalf. This aligns our incentives directly with yours: we only do well when your portfolio does well. We also offer insurance and annuity solutions where they genuinely fit a client's plan. Full fee and compensation transparency is provided before we begin working together. We believe in zero surprises.

Social Security timing is one of the most consequential decisions in retirement planning. You can begin as early as 62 or delay until 70, and each year you wait increases your benefit by approximately 8%. The right time depends on your health, other income sources, marital status, and tax situation. We run detailed Social Security optimization analyses for every client to identify the strategy that maximizes lifetime benefits.

Protecting wealth in retirement requires a different approach than accumulating it. We use strategies such as bucket-based income planning, diversified asset allocation, and systematic rebalancing to reduce exposure to sequence-of-returns risk — the danger of a market drop early in retirement draining your portfolio. Our goal is to give you consistent, predictable income regardless of what the market is doing.

Nothing changes. We serve clients throughout South Florida — from Plantation and Boca Raton to Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, West Palm Beach, Aventura, Miami, and beyond. And if life takes you out of Florida entirely, we continue to service clients in other states as well. Whether you prefer to meet in person or connect virtually from wherever you are, we adapt to what works best for you. Your plan moves with you.

While we are not estate planning attorneys, we connect our clients with a trusted in-house network of legal professionals who can draft Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and other essential documents. Because of our referral-based relationship with these attorneys, we are able to offer our clients access to these services at a fraction of what you might pay going directly to an outside firm. It is one more way we work to make comprehensive planning accessible and affordable for the families we serve.

Florida is one of the most tax-friendly states for retirees. There is no state income tax, no tax on Social Security benefits, and no estate or inheritance tax at the state level. This can meaningfully increase the amount of income you keep each year. We factor Florida's tax environment into every retirement income plan and coordinate with tax professionals when needed to optimize your overall tax strategy.

A Roth conversion can be a powerful tax strategy, but it is not right for everyone. It depends on your current tax bracket, expected future tax rates, time horizon, and income needs in retirement. We analyze whether a full or partial conversion makes sense as part of your overall retirement tax plan — often using lower-income years strategically to convert at favorable rates.