Your Golden Years Blueprint—Navigating the Retirement Descent | Guiding You Forward

Transitioning into retirement years is a significant milestone. After decades of saving money and making countless decisions to prepare for the day you’ll stop working, you are now entering the descent phase—when you put all your planning into practice. Understanding the various financial tools and goals can help ensure a comfortable and secure future.

Stephen Skokos, senior wealth advisor, and Brooke Angelovich, associate wealth advisor, both with Mountain America Investment Services, visit the Mountain America Credit Union Guiding You Forward podcast studio to share how to transition into this new phase.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Stephen and Brooke break down the three phases of retirement, helping you understand what to expect as your lifestyle and financial needs evolve. The “go-go” years—typically from your 60s to mid-70s—are marked by travel, adventure and checking off bucket list items. These are followed by the “slow-go” years, when activity begins to taper, and eventually the “no-go” years, when health and mobility may limit your options. Knowing what each phase entails can help you plan more intentionally. Watch the full episode to gain deeper insight into these stages and how to prepare for them effectively. Understanding these phases isn’t just about lifestyle—it’s also about aligning your financial strategy to support each stage. That’s where smart planning around retirement accounts comes in.

Understanding the tax implications of traditional vs. Roth IRAs is crucial. Traditional IRA money is taxed when you withdraw funds. However, the earnings and withdrawals on a Roth IRA are tax-free. “We often work with clients early in their retirement, in their early 60s,” says Stephen, “where we’ll start transitioning money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA to give them tax-free money so they can use those dollars more freely later in life.”

As you are nearing retirement, regular meetings with your financial advisor become essential. Get help navigating important milestones and staying on track to reach your goals. Brooke stresses how important it is to say up to date and talk to your financial advisor about these milestones. Regarding the team of sherpas you need to guide you through to this phase, she reminds us, “This is about all the people that you’re gathering. They’re only as good as the information that they are given.” So, talk to them, and share with them what you want your retirement to look like. Then they can help you make the best plan for your future.

Watch the full video above to learn even more about transitioning into retirement from Stephen and Brooke.