Building your Financial Team

At Everence, we help individuals build personalized financial plans for retirement that align with their faith and values. While we focus on providing you with investment strategies, income planning, and long-term financial well-being, we’ve found that retirement success is best achieved when you have a team of professionals helping you along the way. 

Retirement planning is more than choosing investments or estimating future expenses – rather, it often includes tax strategy, legal protections, estate planning, and risk management. At Everence, we strongly encourage our clients to partner with experts such as an accountant and an attorney, alongside your financial advisor. When all three work together, they create a well-rounded plan that’s stronger than any one perspective alone. This collaborative approach ensures you make confident, informed decisions for your future. Here’s how a collaborative approach can help you plan for retirement:

Tax-efficient investment planning

Financial advisors, like those at Everence, design investment portfolios with your retirement goals and personal values in mind. But without tax insight, even the best portfolio can lead to unintended tax consequences. An accountant can help evaluate your investments – including capital gains, dividends, and retirement account distributions – to ensure your strategy is tax-efficient. They can also help you understand how different types of accounts (such as Roth IRAs, traditional IRAs, and taxable brokerage accounts) impact your overall tax situation. Together, your financial advisor and accountant can help you make the most of your tax allowances, avoid unnecessary liabilities, and plan for future tax scenarios. This collaboration can be especially valuable during your retirement years. 

Smarter retirement withdrawals

Your financial advisor helps you determine when and how to draw from your retirement accounts – including how to make the most of your Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) through charitable giving. An accountant can also advise on the tax benefits of those withdrawals, helping reduce taxable income during retirement. They may suggest strategies such as Roth conversions, timing withdrawals to avoid higher tax brackets, or coordinating withdrawals with Social Security benefits. These insights can help preserve your retirement savings and reduce the risk of unexpected tax bills. Working together, your advisor and accountant can help you create a withdrawal plan that supports both your financial goals and your generosity.

Estate and legacy planning

Our goal at Everence is to help you map out an estate plan that reflects your faith and values, cares for your loved ones, and provides you peace of mind. In addition, we can also work with your accountant to ensure your plan is structured to minimize taxes for your heirs – including any charitable organization you designate as a beneficiary. Your accountant can help assess the tax implications of gifting strategies, inherited assets, and estate taxes, ensuring your legacy is passed on as efficiently as possible. As you’re making end-of-life plans, you’ll also need to include an attorney. They’ll be responsible for drafting legal documents – such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney – to ensure your wishes are carried out. Together, this team of professionals can help you build a comprehensive plan that honors your values, protects your loved ones and increases your impact. 

How Everence Helps 

At Everence, your financial consultant will actively support collaboration with your accountant and attorney. With your permission, we:

• Share relevant financial data to support their work. 
• Coordinate on timing for important financial moves. 
• Adjust your financial plan based on their insights. 

Help you ask the right questions at the right time to make informed decisions. 

Open communication among your advisors leads to better outcomes. When everyone is aligned, your retirement strategy becomes more efficient and aligned with your faith and values.

Remember, a strong retirement plan isn’t built alone. Everence is committed to helping you build a strong financial future. When you pair our expertise with the insights of skilled accountants and attorneys, you gain a powerful advantage that allows you to increase your financial well-being – both now and in the future. Let’s build your financial dream team today. Call 574-537-8773 or visit Everence.com/Michiana.