Jim Lorenzen, CFP®, AIF®

Model Portfolios for Pre-Retirees: Balancing Risk, Income, and Tax Surprises

A plain-English guide to how thoughtful portfolios are built before retirement income begins.

As retirement gets closer, many investors realize their portfolio may still be built for the accumulation years, not the years when the money needs to start doing real work.

This guide explains how model portfolios can help pre-retirees think through the balance between growth, income, downside risk, and tax surprises before retirement begins.

It is designed to be educational, practical, and easy to understand. No market predictions. No scare tactics. No breathless promises. Just a clearer way to think about how a retirement-ready portfolio is actually put together.

• How much risk should you still be taking?
• How should income fit into the portfolio?
• What happens if the market drops right when withdrawals begin?
• And how much of the plan could be affected by taxes you did not fully see coming?
• This guide was created to help pre-retirees think more clearly about those questions.

Inside this guide, you will see:

• How retirement investing differs from accumulation investing
• Why higher income does not always mean lower risk
• How model portfolios can reflect different levels of growth, stability, and withdrawal pressure
• The role taxes can play in retirement portfolio design
• Common mistakes pre-retirees make when adjusting their investment strategy
• Questions worth asking before making major portfolio changes

Download the guide to get a clearer, more practical view of how investment strategy often changes as retirement gets closer.

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