Retirement Planning for Pre-Retirees & Executives in Del Mar, CA

A coordinated planning conversation covering income, taxes, Social Security, and equity compensation, built around your specific situation while you are still working and retirement is coming into view.

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It is complimentary, with no obligation. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you honestly.
Serving Families in Southern
California since 2015
Chad Waters is a CERTIFIED
FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional
Affiliated with LPL Financial, a Fortune
500 company; Member FINRA/SIPC

Check the background of this firm on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

“Do I have enough to retire, and how do I know?”

You have spent decades building a career. Somewhere along the way, the question shifted from how much can I save to do I actually have enough. You may have a number in your head. What is less common is a tested plan behind it.

Most people in this stage have a 401(k) that's been on autopilot and a savings rate that's been consistent but never strategically optimized. No one has actually modeled what retirement income looks like against a specific date. A generalist advisor manages the portfolio. Nobody has built a transition plan around when you actually want to stop working.

For executives and senior professionals, the picture tends to get more complicated. RSUs vest and get sold or held without a strategy. Stock options sit unexercised while the clock runs. Deferred compensation elections get made without a clear read on the tax consequences at distribution. For many in this position, equity compensation represents a meaningful portion of their net worth and is often the area that has received the least structured attention.

The decisions made in this specific window, tax positioning, Roth conversions, Social Security claiming age, and income structure, can have consequences that last decades. And there is a coverage gap worth planning for that many people do not anticipate: if you retire before 65, Medicare is not yet available. Someone needs to plan for that bridge.

Does This Sound Like You?

I am not sure I actually have enough to retire on my terms, and no one has given me a clear answer

I am paying more in taxes than ever during my peak earning years and no one is looking at what could be done about it

I have RSUs, stock options, or deferred compensation and I am not confident I am handling them the right way

I have a CPA and an advisor but I am not sure they are working from the same picture

I feel like I could retire in the next five to ten years but I do not have a concrete plan to get there

I am not sure whether I am actually on track, or just assuming I am because the market has been good

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What a Proper Retirement Strategy Looks Like

You have a clearer, more grounded sense of when retirement may be realistic on your terms, backed by an income model rather than a rough estimate.

Your tax burden and estate planning questions have been reviewed as part of one coordinated picture, rather than left to separate professionals who are not looking at your entire financial picture.

Your RSUs, stock options, and deferred compensation have been reviewed and there is a thoughtful approach behind how they are being handled, rather than decisions made by default.

Your Social Security claiming age and healthcare bridge have been considered deliberately as part of the plan, rather than left for later when options may be more limited.

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Retirement Planning at Trifecta Wealth Management

Retirement planning at Trifecta Wealth Management starts years before your last day of work, not the week after.

Built around your purpose, your goals, and the people you care about most, we work to model your retirement income in the context of a real target date, review equity compensation with an awareness of tax implications, and raise the Social Security, tax positioning, and healthcare questions that are most relevant in this specific window.

For executives with concentrated stock positions or deferred compensation considerations, we have access to a dedicated HNW planning team that can assist with more complex situations, if it makes sense.

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Complimentary Second Opinion

A no-obligation conversation about where you stand today, what you are working toward, and whether Trifecta Wealth Management may be the right fit.

Retirement Readiness Review

We model your current financial picture in the context of your target retirement date and income needs, to help give you a clearer, more grounded answer to whether your timeline is realistic.

Tax and Estate Strategy

We discuss your tax picture during your peak earning years and raise questions about whether your estate plan and beneficiary designations appear aligned with your current financial picture.

Social Security and Healthcare Bridge Planning

We discuss Social Security claiming considerations and, for clients who may retire before 65, help think through how to approach the coverage gap before Medicare begins.

Ongoing Partnership

We revisit the plan as your target date approaches and adjust as your situation evolves, with additional check-ins throughout the year as your circumstances warrant.

This material was created for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as ERISA, tax, legal or investment advice. If you are seeking investment advice specific to your needs, such advice services must be obtained on your own separate from this educational material.

What We Charge

Trifecta Wealth Management operates on a fee-based model, with all advisory fees disclosed in writing before you make any decision. Trifecta Wealth Management typically works with clients who have $1 million or more in investable assets. After your complimentary second opinion, ongoing engagement includes at minimum one comprehensive annual review and one dedicated planning meeting each year, with regular check-ins in between.

Why Work With Trifecta Wealth Management

Built for the Pre-Retirement Window

Retirement readiness analysis, tax positioning conversations, and Social Security claiming considerations are approached around your specific target date and situation, not a generic retirement checklist.

Equity Compensation Experience

RSUs, stock options, and deferred compensation are part of the planning conversation where applicable, an area that generalist advisors may not prioritize or have experience addressing.

One Advisor, Year After Year

You work directly with Chad Waters, CFP®, as your primary point of contact, supported by his team, through the years before retirement and into the transition itself.

A Capped Client Roster

Fewer than 100 families means your plan receives the attention a multi-year transition actually requires.

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What Our Clients Say

My wife and I have worked with Chad Waters for 10 years since he knocked on my door a year before our retirement. Usually I shoo away people selling services but there was something about Chad that made me want to hear what he had to say. In our experience Chad and Heather have always had our best interests at heart. I find that they are always available. They have our absolute trust with our money for our financial plan and retirement savings. We look forward to a continued relationship with Trifecta Wealth Management, LLC.

Jere D.
Retired
August 14, 2026

I have used Chad Waters as my financial adviser for many years. I changed brokerage firms when he moved to a new one. I find him to be responsive to my requests and helpful with his information. I have been very happy since moving with him, and he never pushes me to do anything or has led me to feel that his advice is because of his desire for commission. Also, I must add, his office is always friendly, efficient, and accommodating.

Judy C.
Retired
August 5, 2026

This statement is a testimonial by a client of the financial professional as of the indicated date. The client has not been paid or received any other compensation for making these statements. As a result, the client does not receive any material incentives or benefits for providing the testimonial. These views may not be representative of the views of other clients and are not indicative of future performance or success.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm not retiring for another five to ten years. Isn't it too early to plan?

This window is often the most valuable one. The years before retirement are when Roth conversions, tax positioning, and equity compensation decisions tend to have the most room to work. Waiting until retirement is close can narrow options that are available today.

How is this different from your Retirement Income Planning service?

Retirement Income Planning is designed for clients who are already retired and drawing down assets. Pre-retirement planning is for clients who are still working and want to build a coordinated strategy before that transition happens.

I have RSUs and stock options through my employer. Can you help with those?

Yes. Where applicable, we discuss equity compensation including RSUs, stock options, and deferred compensation as part of your broader tax and retirement planning conversation.

What happens to my health coverage if I retire before 65?

For clients who retire before Medicare eligibility at 65, the coverage gap is worth planning for. We help think through what coverage options may be available and what they could cost, as part of your broader retirement timeline conversation.

Will you coordinate with my CPA?

Yes, at your request. We are happy to work alongside your CPA on tax positioning questions, though we do not provide tax advice ourselves. Our role is to help raise the right questions and facilitate coordination across your planning team.

Do I need $1 million to work with you?

Trifecta Wealth Management typically works with clients who have $1 million or more in investable assets. If you are close to that threshold and feel we may be a good fit, we are happy to have a conversation.

Are you a fiduciary?

In our fee-based advisory relationships, yes. We are required to act as a fiduciary, and as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, held to a fiduciary standard under the CFP Board's Code of Ethics.

Got questions?

Apply for a Second Opinion call with our team to get all your questions answered.

Get a Second Opinion

Let's find out whether your retirement date is realistic, and what needs to happen between now and then to get you there.

Get a Second Opinion
It is complimentary, with no obligation. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you honestly.
Prefer to call?
+1 858-703-6033

Trifecta Wealth Management does not provide tax or legal advice. Tax positioning, Roth conversion, and Social Security claiming decisions should be made in coordination with your CPA. Equity compensation and deferred compensation elections carry tax consequences that vary by individual circumstance and plan documents.