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At The Family Office, we view retirement as a continuation of disciplined wealth stewardship. Our approach is holistic and goal-based, focusing on balancing income, growth, and security to ensure financial peace of mind throughout every stage of life. The key to success lies in designing a retirement income plan that offers stability, flexibility, and the capacity to adapt to life’s changes.

To achieve a reliable retirement income, there are several critical steps and considerations that must be taken into account.

1. Understanding the New Retirement Landscape

People today are living longer and more active lives.

In fact, many individuals can expect retirement to span over 30 years.

 While this extended lifespan offers opportunities for growth, it also introduces new financial challenges that must be carefully managed.

These challenges include inflation, which erodes purchasing power over time, rising healthcare costs, which continue to increase unpredictably, and the ever-growing need for financial resources to maintain a comfortable lifestyle throughout retirement. The traditional retirement planning model, which relied on a set withdrawal amount from fixed savings, no longer offers the flexibility or stability that today’s retirees need.

As a result, retirement planning must be more dynamic and proactive. The Family Office recognizes these shifts and works with clients to build plans that account for longevity, rising costs, and lifestyle changes that may arise over time.

Successful retirement planning begins with a clear understanding of your goals and needs. What kind of lifestyle do you want to enjoy in retirement, and what income will be required to sustain it? Defining these aspects early on allows us to tailor a strategy that meets your specific objectives.

A fundamental part of retirement planning is understanding your income sources. These can range from predictable sources such as pensions, rental income, or business proceeds, to investment-based income that fluctuates based on market conditions. It’s essential to strike the right balance between these sources to create a consistent income stream that meets your needs without overexposing you to risk.

At The Family Office, we focus on goal-based planning that ensures each client's income structure is aligned with their financial objectives and family priorities. This approach is designed to provide both financial security and peace of mind, knowing that income streams will be available to support your lifestyle for years to come.

3. Designing a Portfolio for Sustainable Income

A sustainable retirement portfolio requires the right mix of liquidity, income, and growth. Unlike accumulation years, where risk tolerance may be higher, retirement requires a more conservative approach. The portfolio should provide stable income while still allowing for some growth to combat inflation and ensure long-term sustainability.

Private market strategies, such as private credit, real estate investments, and diversified funds, are critical in building a robust portfolio that generates consistent income while preserving capital. These assets can provide more reliable income streams compared to traditional stocks and bonds, which can be volatile, especially in the early years of retirement.

At The Family Office, we build diversified portfolios designed to withstand market fluctuations and generate steady cash flows, tailored to each client’s time horizon, risk appetite, and income needs. Our approach 

 the portfolio resilient during downturns while continuing to grow over time.

The sequence and timing of withdrawals are crucial to preserving long-term wealth. Unstructured or poorly planned withdrawals can shorten the lifespan of a retirement portfolio, especially during market downturns. A disciplined withdrawal strategy, on the other hand, ensures that assets last as long as needed, helping to maintain a steady income stream while protecting the principal.

Effective cash flow management also requires thoughtful withdrawal strategies. By carefully planning these withdrawals, you can preserve capital for future use. The Family Office works closely with clients to develop strategies that balance income needs with long-term portfolio sustainability, providing a stable income while safeguarding the longevity of your assets.

5. Staying Disciplined Through Market Cycles

Market volatility is an inevitable part of investing, and it can be particularly challenging during retirement when you’re relying on your investments to provide income. Emotional reactions to market downturns can lead to hasty decisions that disrupt long-term plans.

At The Family Office, we help clients stay disciplined and avoid knee-jerk reactions during market fluctuations. We understand the importance of sticking to a strategy that aligns with long-term goals, rather than being swayed by short-term market movements. Our guidance ensures that clients remain focused on their objectives, maintaining a structured approach to investing even during times of uncertainty.

While financial security is crucial for a comfortable retirement, how you live in retirement is just as important. Retirement planning isn’t just about wealth; it’s about enhancing your quality of life. Aligning financial goals with personal life goals can lead to a more fulfilling retirement experience.

Whether it’s traveling, starting a new business, or spending more time with family, your retirement income plan should reflect your desires and priorities. At The Family Office, we understand the human aspect of retirement, helping clients not only preserve wealth but also achieve personal fulfillment. We also assist clients in defining their legacy, ensuring that both financial stability and emotional peace of mind are preserved for future generations.

Retirement success is built on foresight, discipline, and structure. By aligning your income needs with well-diversified strategies and professional guidance, you can enjoy a retirement that offers both stability and confidence. At The Family Office, we help clients create retirement income plans that endure, ensuring that their wealth is preserved, their lifestyle sustained, and their legacy supported for generations to come.

With a comprehensive approach to retirement planning, The Family Office stands ready to guide you through every stage of life, providing the insights and expertise necessary to navigate the complexities of retirement and secure a fulfilling future.

Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center

Building a Reliable Retirement Income Plan

While official data may be lacking, there is no shortage of strong opinions. In this article, we tease apart the conflicting views and attempt to shed light on what investors should genuinely be concerned about.

The usually unanimous Fed has become more fractured in recent months. The latest meeting was no exception, with one committee member voting to hold rates, and another voting to cut rates faster. The Fed also took the significant step of halting its program of Quantitative Tightening (effective as of December 1st), citing emerging pressures in money markets.

The recently published minutes add more texture. While the majority voted to cut rates by a quarter point to the current target range of 3.75% – 4.00%, several would have been happy to hold rates steady.

 The discussion about the future course of rates revealed a growing divide.

 The data that is available, while missing for October, explains the reason for this confusion.

First, let’s consider the employment data. While the latest September figures (+119k) may appear solid, new hires have been on a downward trend every year since 2022, and have seen net losses for the first time this year (in June and August).

Safeguarding the job market is one of the Fed’s two explicit mandates. Supporters of further rate cuts will argue that the data above, as well as a rising unemployment rate and rising workforce departures, clearly signal the need for lower rates.

The other side of the equation is, their opponents would argue, stubbornly high inflation.

Core PCE inflation, which is the Fed’s primary measure of progress, has been creeping back upwards since the April low point of 2.6%. The ‘Nowcast’ from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland suggests that the current level remains around 2.9%, nearly a full percentage point above the target.

This leaves the Fed in a bind, with its two key mandates at odds with one another. The ‘fog’ created by the data gap means that each side must argue its case based on conviction rather than pure facts.

Powell’s initial signal to the market was hawkish, or at least highly non-committal, stating that a December cut was not a “foregone conclusion”.

 Since then, however, statements by colleagues have indicated that the tide of opinion may be turning more in favor of preventing the labor market from deteriorating further.

Futures markets have swung considerably in their expectations.

 A near consensus on a December cut collapsed to a 50:50 split by the middle of the month, following various hawkish statements by Fed officials (Bostic,

) have driven expectations of a cut back up to 70% as of the time of writing.

A key argument of the doves is the contention that a material portion of excess inflation is due to tariffs increasing goods prices, which is outside the Fed’s control and - arguably - temporary.

When the decision makers are at odds, what are we, as investors, to make of it all?

The answer is to take a step back and focus on what matters, which is not necessarily the same as what is being discussed. For example, the potential effect of AI as a labor-force productivity booster (i.e., why economic growth is persisting amid a labor slowdown), or whether the liquidity strains in the money market are reasons for broader concern about the financial sector.

Longer-term trends like these are important for long-term returns, which are ultimately the goal of a true investor. The outcome of the next meeting is anyone’s guess, and luckily, of little long-term consequence for an investor’s portfolio.

Driving in the Fog: FOMC Meeting December 2025 

There is perhaps a latent, unspoken hope in the minds of many weary investors that things will eventually ‘go back to normal’. With each passing year, that hope becomes more remote.

2025 has certainly offered no indications of a return to the status quo ante. As investors continue to be buffeted by tariffs, geopolitical brinksmanship, and the longer-term demographic conundra that threaten many advanced economies, it’s natural that they should begin to seek novel remedies.

So, what is the “smart money” doing? In this article, we look at how the world's largest investors - including pension funds and sovereign wealth funds - are innovating to find growth.

Private markets - a broad category including private equity, private debt, infrastructure, real estate, and venture capital - are on track to account for nearly a third of all assets under management by 2032, according to Bain & Company.

A raft of investor surveys conducted in the past 12 months - including studies by Goldman Sachs

 - confirms that investors are largely entering, maintaining, or doubling down on their allocations to private markets.

Most recently, a Barclays Private Bank survey released on October 31st found that 79% of investors actively participating in private markets expect to increase their allocations in the coming year, and 48% of those not invested are considering doing so.

This comes after a temporary lull in fundraising for the private equity industry, due to the rapid increase in borrowing rates during the 2022-2023 war on inflation. The increase in rates pressured valuations and made new acquisitions more expensive, creating a temporary bottleneck.

Since then, private equity has adjusted to the new era. In 2024, distributions exceeded contributions for the first time since 2015 - meaning investors (Limited Partners) received more cash back from their investments than they contributed for new deals.

 The recent decision of Kuwait’s pension fund (PIFSS) to resume its private market investing after a three-year pause

 is the latest evidence of private investing’s new momentum.

 the core benefits offered by private markets investing: higher returns, improved diversification, and psychological insulation from volatility

From a target company’s perspective, raising private capital gives more breathing room, away from the burden of quarterly profit targets. From an investor’s perspective, it makes it possible to ‘get in on the ground floor’, as well as exert more control over the company’s strategy.

The ‘lull’ in private equity activity has left many funds ‘under-allocated’ to this asset class, signaling a steady influx of capital back into the field in the coming months and years.

 2025 Private Markets Diagnostic Survey (page 15)

The various surveys referenced above also offer insight into what is driving the renewed ascent of private markets. Goldman Sachs notes that operational value improvement via active ownership has become the main focus, replacing a reliance on pure financial engineering.

BNP Paribas also notes the increasing importance of thematic investing, given that a ‘rising tide that lifts all boats’ strategy can no longer be relied upon.

Infrastructure is, according to McKinsey’s Global Private Markets Report 2025, the highest area of new commitment (46%) among Limited Partners. The IFM survey further revealed that investors are predicting returns for Infrastructure Equity to jump to 13.4%, in line with traditional private equity returns.

The rewiring of global trade, the green energy transition, and the AI revolution all require new infrastructure of some kind, be it manufacturing capacity, power generation, or airports and roads. This coming wave of investment offers a rare combination of growth and stability (through predictable, resilient cashflows).

Private fundraising is likely to be a critical part of funding this new wave, given the strain on many government budgets.

If the benefits of private markets seem too good to be true, it should be added that they come at a cost - namely, stringent due diligence on the part of the investor. While financial engineering is sector-agnostic, operational value enhancement is business-specific, and hence rarer.

As demand for private markets investing increases, many funds will emerge looking to attract capital. This will lead to a more crowded field, consisting of both capable and less capable actors. The gap between well-performing and poor-performing funds will widen as a result.

In order to capitalize fully on the private markets opportunity, therefore, investors must be selective, seeking out managers with functional and sectoral expertise, demonstrated by a clear track record.

Unlocking Future Possibilities: Navigating Success with Vista Equity Partners

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

4:00 pm (GMT+3)

Language: English

Webinar topics include:

Speakers

Viet Nguyen

Moderators

Sami Favre

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