Retirement Planning
What to Organize Before You Retire
A practical retirement planning guide for Westlake Village and Conejo Valley families, covering income, taxes, investments, risk, and estate coordination.
Financial Advisor Serving Simi Valley, California
Communities we serve
A Ventura County city over the hills to the north, long a home for public-sector, aerospace, and long-tenured households.
North over the hills via the 23 and the 118
Simi Valley lies north of the Conejo Valley, separated from it by the Simi Hills. From the Palm Coast office on Townsgate Road in Westlake Village, the drive runs west on the 101 to the 23 north and then the 118 east into the valley.
Meetings take place by Zoom or in person at the Westlake Village office, whichever you prefer. Meeting format and availability can be discussed when scheduling, and the first conversation is complimentary.
Meet with us in Westlake Village
2625 Townsgate Road Suite 330Westlake Village, CA 91361
Phone: (805) 429-4183
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About Simi Valley
What planning tends to look like in Simi Valley
Simi Valley incorporated in 1969 and is home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Its economy has long included aerospace and engineering employers, and the city has for decades been a residential base for public-safety, utility, and other public-sector households who work across the county line in Los Angeles. Many residents have lived and worked in one place for a full career.
Pensions therefore feature in Simi Valley planning more than in most communities. Households with CalPERS, CalSTRS, city, or county pensions face irrevocable payout elections, coordination between the pension and Social Security, and the question of how much to save outside the pension. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed in January 2025, repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which changed the Social Security picture for many public-sector retirees and their spouses and is worth revisiting in any plan made before then.
Planning priorities
Conversations we often have with Simi Valley households
Pension elections and Social Security
Single-life versus survivor options, deferred compensation and 457 plans, and how the pension and Social Security fit together after the 2025 repeal of WEP and GPO.
Income once the paycheck stops
Which accounts pay for what alongside a pension, how to manage the tax bracket year by year, and how to keep a reserve outside the market.
Coverage in retirement
Retiree medical, the transition to Medicare, and whether life and long-term care coverage still serve a purpose once the pension begins.
The long-owned home and the estate
Proposition 13 tax bases, Proposition 19 for the children, and estate documents that agree with how accounts are titled.
Insights
Related reading
Estate & Legacy Coordination
Estate and Legacy Planning Conversations for Conejo Valley Families
Estate and legacy planning guidance for Conejo Valley families coordinating beneficiary designations, trusts, communication, and advisor roles.
Financial Planning
How to Evaluate a Fiduciary Financial Advisor in the Conejo Valley
Questions Conejo Valley families can ask when evaluating fiduciary financial planning, advisor fit, compensation, credentials, and planning process.
Frequently asked questions
Does Palm Coast work with public-sector employees and retirees?
Yes. Public pensions bring specific decisions: the payout election, the interaction with Social Security, supplemental plans such as 457(b) accounts, retiree medical, and how much to hold outside the pension. Palm Coast models these together and coordinates the tax dimension with your CPA.
What did the Social Security Fairness Act change?
Signed in January 2025, it repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset. Retirees with a pension from work not covered by Social Security, and their spouses and survivors, may now receive larger Social Security benefits than earlier rules allowed. Anyone whose plan was built before 2025 should have the Social Security assumptions updated.
Where do Simi Valley clients meet with Palm Coast?
By Zoom or in person at the firm’s office, whichever you prefer. The office is at 2625 Townsgate Road, Suite 330, Westlake Village, reached from Simi Valley via the 118, the 23, and the 101. Meeting format and availability can be discussed when scheduling.
How should a pension payout option be chosen?
By modeling each option against both spouses’ health and life expectancy, other income and assets, existing life insurance, and the household’s income plan. A survivor option costs monthly income but protects a spouse; a single-life option pays more but stops at death. Because the choice is usually permanent, Palm Coast works through it well before the retirement date.
Authoritative sources
These official resources support the general educational context on this page. They are not endorsements of Palm Coast Wealth Management.
Nearby
Other communities we serve
Ventura County
Moorpark
A Ventura County city north of the Conejo Valley that grew from agricultural roots into a commuter community of newer neighborhoods.
Ventura County
Oak Park
A planned residential community in the hills north of Agoura Hills, with its own school district and a strongly family-oriented profile.
Ventura County
Thousand Oaks
The largest city in the Conejo Valley, home to major employers and long-settled neighborhoods, a few minutes from the Palm Coast office.
Bring the moving parts into one conversation.
Use the secure meeting form to tell Palm Coast what you are coordinating. Do not include account numbers or other sensitive financial information.