They'd done everything right. Saved consistently. Lived below their means. Stayed out of debt. By the time they walked into our office, they had accumulated meaningful retirement assets and more than enough to live well.
But they didn't feel that way.
For years, they'd been working with an advisor who managed their investments, and that's all he did. No income plan. No distribution strategy. No conversation about what retirement was actually supposed to look like. So they kept saving, kept being careful, and kept saying no to things they could easily afford. The car they'd been driving for over a decade? Not because they couldn't replace it. Because they weren't sure they should.
Their biggest obstacle wasn't financial. It was emotional. Without a clear plan showing what they could safely spend, every purchase felt risky. They were still saving a large percentage of their income out of habit, not necessity. Vacations felt indulgent. Generosity felt like a gamble. They were stewarding their money faithfully, but the fear was keeping them from stewarding their lives.
That's the thing people don't always talk about with retirement. Having "enough" doesn't fix much if you never feel like you have permission to use it.
We started with a full financial review. Not just the portfolio, but their income sources, their actual spending, and what they wanted their retirement to feel like. Not just what it looked like on a spreadsheet.
What we found surprised them: they were saving significantly more than they needed to. Their nest egg wasn't fragile. It was robust. What was missing was a plan that told them so.
We built a tax-efficient distribution strategy that showed them exactly how to draw from their accounts in a coordinated way. Less going to taxes, more going to life. We reframed their "safe spending" number with real data, not gut feelings. And we built their generosity goals into the plan from the start, so giving to their church and the ministries they cared about wasn't an afterthought. It was a line item with breathing room.
Within months, they made decisions they'd been postponing for years. They bought their first new car in over a decade. They took two vacations in the same year. Not because they suddenly had more money, but because they finally had a plan that told them it was okay.
The most meaningful shift, though, was in their giving. With a real plan came real freedom, and they increased their charitable contributions in a way that felt joyful instead of anxious. They weren't guarding their resources out of fear anymore. They were deploying them on purpose.
We hear from them regularly. Not because something is wrong. Because they want to tell us about the trip they just booked or the gift they just made. That's the part of this work we love the most.
You don’t have to navigate the financial journey alone. Whether you’re a business owner preparing for growth, a family planning for the future, or simply someone who wants biblical wisdom applied to money, Sound Wealth is here to walk with you.
It’s time your finances reflected your faith. Let’s make a plan together.
