You saved diligently for decades. Now make every dollar last.
Get the free Retirement Blueprint guide: seven moves that can protect your income, lower your taxes, and take care of the people who depend on you, here and back home.
- When to claim Social Security, and how couples can secure a larger survivor benefit
- Your investment options once you leave work or reach age 59½, including the 20% withholding trap
- How to invest your savings to stay ahead of inflation without taking on more risk than you need
- How the 12% tax bracket and Roth conversions can lower your lifetime tax bill
- How a living trust can keep your U.S. home out of probate, and how your plan ties together with property in Kerala
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7 Financial Moves for Malayalee & South Asian Families. Sent to your inbox right away.
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Download the Guide (PDF)Want answers sooner? Book your free 30-minute Retirement Blueprint Review.
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Most retirement advice wasn't written for families like yours
Your plan has to account for more than a 401(k) balance. These are the questions families like yours raise most often.
Supporting two households
You may still help parents or siblings in India, or plan to spend part of the year in Kerala. Your income plan should account for both.
Property here and in Kerala
A will alone doesn't keep your U.S. home out of probate, and land or a family home in Kerala passes under Indian law. Your estate plan should cover both.
A later start in the U.S.
If one spouse started working here later, their Social Security record may be smaller. Claiming strategy matters even more.
Diligent savers, big tax bills
Decades of 401(k) saving can mean large required distributions and higher Medicare premiums later, unless you plan ahead.
Children across the country
Your kids are building careers far from home. A care and estate plan protects them as much as it protects you.
Decisions you make once
Social Security, rollovers, and pension elections are often permanent. Getting them right the first time matters.
More investment choices at 59½
Once you leave your job, or reach 59½ in many plans even while still working, you may be able to move your 401(k) or 403(b) into an IRA with far more options for growth, diversification, and guarantees.
Insurance that works together
Employer life and disability coverage often ends or changes when you retire. Coordinating it with privately owned policies helps protect what matters most and makes sure coverage is there when you need it.
Simple, private, and no pressure
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Tom Sunny, CFP®, CLU®, RICP®
Tom is the President and Founder of Sunny Financial Strategies and a second-generation financial professional; his father entered the business in 1996. Having grown up in the Malayalee community, Tom understands the questions families ask at the kitchen table: With so many options, how should we invest our savings here to stay ahead of inflation without taking on more risk than we need? Can we keep helping back home? When should we take Social Security? What happens to the property in Kerala?
"A portfolio is a tool. A retirement income plan is the blueprint for how that tool serves you for the rest of your life."
Book your free Retirement Blueprint Review
A relaxed 30-minute conversation by phone or Zoom about your situation. No cost, no obligation.
- Your Social Security timing and survivor benefits
- Your 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), TSP, and IRA options, including what opens up after you leave work or reach 59½
- Your insurance: how employer and personally owned coverage work together
- Your tax picture, including Roth conversion opportunities
- Your investment mix: staying ahead of inflation without unnecessary risk
- Your income plan and healthcare costs
- Your estate plan: avoiding probate on U.S. property and coordinating with property in Kerala
Family is welcome. Many of our clients include their spouse or adult children in the conversation. Just let us know when you book.
Prefer to call? 847-585-4931
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Open the scheduling pageFrequently asked questions
Is the guide really free?
Yes. There is no cost and no obligation. You'll also receive a short series of educational emails, and you can unsubscribe at any time with one click.
I don't live in Illinois. Can you still help?
Most of our meetings happen by phone or Zoom, and Tom works with clients across the country. We'll confirm we can serve you in your state when we connect.
Will I be pressured to buy something?
No. The review is a conversation about your situation and your questions. If working together makes sense, we'll explain your options and any costs clearly, and the decision is always yours.
Can my spouse or children join the call?
Absolutely. Retirement decisions affect the whole family, and many of our clients include their spouse or adult children. Zoom makes it easy for everyone to join from different cities.
How do you handle property in Kerala?
Your U.S. estate plan, often built around a revocable living trust, can help keep your home and accounts here out of probate. Property in Kerala passes under Indian law, so we make sure your U.S. plan and your arrangements in India work together, and we coordinate with your attorney in India on the documents that need to be prepared there.
What should I have ready for the review?
Nothing is required. If it's handy, recent statements for your retirement accounts, your Social Security estimate from ssa.gov, and last year's tax return help us give you more specific ideas.
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