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Problem
Dave found us on Youtube and after watching a few videos, he knew he needed to talk with us. He was nervous that he couldn’t retire yet, but growing health issues and long, stressful hours in the clinic forced him to make a choice.
He started buying bitcoin in early 2024, hoping the ensuing bull market would balloon his wealth and erase his worries, but that didn’t happen. He was in the midst of paying for kids' college, home renovations, and other big expenditures. Bitcoin was primarily his only asset that wasn’t in a tax deferred retirement account, so he was worried about his tax bill both now and when RMDs kicked in later.
He wasn’t sure if they were spending too much to survive a 30 year retirement. He was worried about volatility, but he saw bitcoin as his only protection against the future coming our way. He read online that health insurance is very expensive prior to 65 and thought “maybe I should just push through to 65.” But again, his family wanted to spend more time with him, his health was telling him to cut back, and he was enjoying his hobbies with his retired friends in the little free time he had.
It was time to hire Strong Wealth to give him the clarity and peace of mind he needed to transition into this next phase of life.
The Approach
After reviewing Dave’s situation, we started addressing 3 key areas:
A retirement plan that incorporated bitcoin without requiring them to sell it, accounted for current and future taxes, ensured they could be generous now without sacrificing their future goals and provided clarity on what they could comfortably spend in retirement, no matter what happened.
An estate plan overhaul with a proper trust structure, fresh bitcoin custody setup, and a bitcoin inheritance protocol so Karen and their kids would know exactly how to access the cold storage bitcoin if needed despite knowing nothing about it.
A sophisticated approach to their non-bitcoin assets that aligned with their worldview about the financial system while providing growth, diversification, and downside protection, without relying on bitcoin to do all the heavy lifting.
Solutions
Dave has set a retirement date in the next 2 months and is eagerly anticipating the newfound freedom to vacation with his family, lower his stress to regain health, windsurf, and play more tennis with his friends without the lingering doubt of it all falling apart.
Detailed projections showing he can retire comfortably now, spend over $200,000 per year, finish remodeling his home, and pay for their kids' college.
A clear withdrawal strategy from their retirement accounts, including roth conversion analysis that is projected to save them over 7 figures in taxes over their lifetime.
Multiple scenario plans accounting for different bitcoin price trajectories, including never touching the bitcoin and living solely off the traditional assets.
A comprehensive trust that offers privacy, protects their assets from probate, properly incorporates cold storage bitcoin, and clearly defines what happens upon their passing.
A documented bitcoin inheritance protocol with step-by-step instructions for Karen and their children to access the bitcoin even if they remember nothing about it.
$4M of their non-bitcoin assets now managed under our Fluvius strategy, offering adaptable growth, diversification, and downside protection.
Their bitcoin remains in cold storage, secure, and optimized for sovereignty.
A buffer of low volatility assets for short term goals/spending that provides peace of mind during the temporary drawdowns in markets.
The Feedback
After officially setting his retirement date, Dave told us, “thank you for all of your reassurance.” He even referred us to one of his colleagues who is looking to fully retire soon as well.