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Brennan Financial Group · Hockessin, DE
Retirement planning in Hockessin, Delaware.
You’ve spent years building your savings. Let’s talk about how those savings can support the life you want.
Brennan Financial Group helps you connect retirement income, investments, Social Security, and future expenses. Meet at our Hockessin office, request an in-home visit, or connect virtually.
Retirement readiness
Can I afford to retire—and stay retired?
A retirement date is only the beginning. Your plan needs to connect what you have saved with what you expect to spend over many years.
We begin with your household: everyday expenses, housing, debt, family responsibilities, and the things you want more time to enjoy. Then we review income sources and identify what your savings may need to provide.
A useful plan also asks what happens if expenses rise, markets decline, or retirement lasts longer than expected. Comparing scenarios helps you understand the assumptions behind a retirement decision. Projections are planning tools, not guarantees.
Retirement income planning
Turn separate accounts into a coordinated income picture.
Understand your retirement spending
Separate recurring expenses from flexible spending and larger one-time purchases. Housing, groceries, insurance, travel, home repairs, and family support can create very different cash needs. Reviewing them together gives your income plan a practical starting point.
Identify the income gap
Compare expected spending with Social Security, pension payments, and other income. The difference helps frame how much you may need from investment accounts and cash reserves. That gap can change when work ends, benefits begin, or a spouse retires.
Plan how to use your accounts
An IRA, a workplace retirement plan, a Roth account, and a taxable investment account can have different withdrawal and tax considerations. We can discuss how these accounts fit into your income needs and identify questions to coordinate with your tax professional.
Revisit the plan as life changes
Retirement spending is not always steady. A move, a loss in the family, a major purchase, or a change in health can alter your priorities. Regular conversations help keep those changes connected to your financial decisions.
Decisions that work together
Look beyond the retirement account balance.
Social Security timing
When you begin benefits affects your monthly payment. The decision belongs alongside your work plans, other income, health considerations, and household needs. We help you consider claiming choices in the context of your broader retirement plan.
Explore Social Security planningHealthcare and Medicare
If you retire before Medicare eligibility, health coverage needs a place in your budget. If you work beyond age 65, enrollment decisions depend on your circumstances and employer coverage. Planning ahead helps you identify coverage questions before leaving work.
Explore Medicare planningWithdrawals and taxes
The amount available to spend can differ from the amount withdrawn. Account type, taxable income, and required minimum distributions may affect the picture. We can identify planning questions for review with your tax professional before major withdrawals or account changes.
Read the IRS distribution guidanceInvesting through retirement
Balance today’s income with tomorrow’s needs.
Retirement changes the job your investments need to do. You may be withdrawing money while still needing a portion of your portfolio to support spending many years from now.
We discuss your time horizon, cash needs, investment mix, and comfort with market changes. Inflation matters because the same dollar amount may purchase less over time. Market losses also deserve attention when withdrawals are being made.
A portfolio review should connect those risks to your actual spending needs. Diversification can help manage investment risk, but it cannot prevent every loss or guarantee that savings will last.
Explore investment managementWherever you are in the process
Planning before and after your last day at work.
Preparing to retire
Review your preferred retirement date, savings, debt, and expected expenses. Identify the information you need about pension choices, workplace benefits, and health coverage before making a decision.
Making the transition
Map out when paychecks end and other income begins. Discuss upcoming expenses, account access, and the practical steps needed to start using savings for retirement.
Already retired
Revisit withdrawals, investment risk, and changing spending needs. Bring questions about relocation, helping family, or whether your existing plan still reflects the life you are living.
Local office · Flexible appointments
Hockessin roots. A relationship that travels with you.
Our office is in Hockessin, Delaware, convenient for conversations with individuals and families from Wilmington, Newark, and nearby communities. We also work with clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Our existing client relationships extend to Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Maine, and West Virginia. For snowbirds and clients who divide their time between homes, virtual appointments offer a convenient way to stay connected while away.
Visit our Hockessin office
Meet at 6285 Limestone Road, Hockessin, DE 19707. Bring your questions, account information, and anyone you would like involved in the planning conversation.
Request an in-home visit
If meeting at home is more convenient, contact our office to arrange an in-home appointment and discuss availability for your location.
Connect virtually or after hours
Virtual appointments make it easier to meet around work, family, travel, or a seasonal move. Afterhours Appointments Upon Request.
Your first conversation
Start with your questions. Bring what you have.
You do not need every document before contacting us. These items can make a retirement planning discussion more useful.
- Recent IRA, 401(k), and other investment account statements
- Social Security estimates and pension benefit information
- A rough monthly budget, debt payments, and expected major expenses
- Your preferred retirement date and any plans for part-time work
- Questions about healthcare, family support, relocation, or a seasonal home
We begin by understanding your goals, reviewing the information available, and identifying the decisions you want help evaluating.
Schedule a retirement conversationRetirement planning questions
Useful answers before you get started.
How much money do I need to retire?
There is no single account balance that fits every household. Expected spending, Social Security, pensions, retirement length, taxes, and investment risk all affect the answer. We can organize those factors and compare scenarios rather than rely on one rule of thumb.
Can I retire before I start Social Security?
Retiring from work and claiming benefits are separate decisions. If you stop working first, your plan needs to address the period before benefits begin, including living expenses and health coverage. We can discuss how that period fits into your overall income picture.
Should I move an old 401(k) into an IRA?
A rollover should be evaluated rather than treated as automatic. Compare fees, investment choices, services, withdrawal rules, and protections before deciding. Bring your plan information so the discussion starts with the features of your actual account.
What should I ask before choosing a financial advisor?
Ask which services are included, how the advisor is compensated, what fees and expenses apply, and whether there are account minimums. Discuss who you will work with, how often you will meet, and how recommendations will be explained. Bring these questions to our first conversation so you can understand the proposed relationship before deciding.
Can you review a plan I already have?
Yes. Bring your existing plan, recent statements, and any changes in your circumstances. We can discuss the assumptions it uses, the decisions it addresses, and questions that remain unresolved.
Do you work with snowbirds and out-of-state clients?
Yes. We have existing clients in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Maine, and West Virginia. Virtual meetings help clients stay connected when traveling or living seasonally elsewhere. Contact us about your location and planning needs.
Can we meet at home or outside normal office hours?
We offer in-home visits and virtual appointments for added convenience. Contact our office to arrange a visit and confirm availability for your location. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with afterhours appointments upon request.
The people behind your plan
Talk with our Hockessin team.
William Brennan and Leigh Joseph help clients connect retirement and investment decisions. Nicole Bigelow supports scheduling, account paperwork, and everyday client service.
Whether we meet in the office, at your home, or virtually, the starting point is the same: your questions, priorities, and financial picture.
Meet the Brennan Financial Group teamContinue exploring
Related planning services.
Helpful retirement resources:
Let’s talk
Bring us your retirement questions.
Meet in Hockessin, request an in-home visit, or schedule a virtual appointment. Let’s talk about the retirement you have in mind.
Brennan Financial Group
6285 Limestone Road
Hockessin, DE 19707Monday–Friday · 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Afterhours Appointments Upon Request