Inflation, whipsaw markets, and confusion over SECURE 2.0 have retirees rethinking drawdowns—and pressuring their advisors. The winners in 2025 are building paycheck-style income plans that fuse taxes, healthcare, and risk control. Learn more at https://www.goldstonefinancialgroup.com/client-testimonials/
Just past the half-year mark of 2025, the markets are teaching retirees a difficult lesson: just because you stopped working doesn't mean your money does. Inflation has kept its grip tighter than expected, bonds aren't providing the safe harbor they once did, and the SECURE 2.0 Act—meant to simplify retirement—has instead left many households confused about when, and how, to pull money out.
For retirement planners, it feels like déjà vu: new rules, same anxiety.
The strain cuts both ways. Clients want predictability in a world that has none. Advisors, meanwhile, are facing greater scrutiny. When Social Security projections wobble and mutual fund returns flip from red to green overnight, clients blame the markets and then call their advisors asking why their plan wasn't immune. The relationship has become more transactional, more tense, and in some cases, more fragile than ever.
And yet, that very tension has bred opportunity. In Chicago, client testimonials about Goldstone Financial Group describe an entirely different kind of experience—feedback not just about steady returns but steady hands. One retiree noted that his team delivered serious tax savings for the next 10 years. Another described working with Goldstone's founder, Anthony Pellegrino, as "like working with family." That sort of feedback hints at something bigger: the difference between owning products and owning a plan.
So what are the savviest retirees in 2025 doing differently?
First, they're thinking in paychecks, not portfolios. Instead of staring at account balances, they're focused on whether this month's retirement paycheck hits their account on time.
Second, they're taking advantage of tax flexibility. SECURE 2.0 has opened new Roth and catch-up options—but without expert guidance, most will underuse them. Those who act see thousands in potential savings over time.
Third, they're diversifying beyond the classic 60/40 portfolio. Layered income vehicles, healthcare cushions, alternative structures—all are being used to soften the blow of volatile markets.
But here's the truth: it's not simple. Too many retirees are piecemealing their choices—a bit of Medicare planning here, a rebalancing there, and maybe a tax move at year-end. The smarter play is weaving all of those into one system: income planning tied to tax strategy, with healthcare and legacy protections inside the same frame.
The real lesson of 2025 isn't just about volatility. It's about how volatility tests relationships between clients and advisors. Those offering surface-level fixes are losing trust. Those delivering structure and foresight are deepening it. Fiduciary responsibility is no longer just a marker of integrity—it's becoming central to client and advisor success alike.
For now, the evidence across the Midwest suggests that structured retirement roadmaps are winning the long game—the only one that truly matters.
Thanks for tuning in to today's episode. For more information about retirement planning and market conditions, visit the website linked in the podcast description. Goldstone Financial Group City: Oakbrook Terrace Address: 18W140 Butterfield Road Website: https://www.goldstonefinancialgroup.com/ Phone: +1 630 620 9300 Email: contactus@goldstonefg.com