Month: March 2026

If you work at Intermountain Health, you have likely spent years caring for other people. As retirement gets closer, there may come a point when you need someone to help care for your financial life too.

Retirement comes with a lot of moving parts. You may be thinking about when to retire, how to turn your savings into income, when to claim Social Security, how Medicare fits in, and how to make tax-smart decisions along the way. Even for people who have saved diligently, it can feel like a lot to sort through.

That is where a good financial advisor can help.

Not everyone needs an advisor, and not every advisor is the right fit. But for many Intermountain employees, there comes a point when professional guidance can make retirement feel much clearer and less overwhelming.

When It May Make Sense to Work With a Financial Advisor

There are a few situations where working with an advisor can be especially helpful.

1. You Are Within 5 to 10 Years of Retirement

This is often one of the most important planning windows. It is much easier to make thoughtful decisions before retirement than after the fact.

An advisor can help you:

• estimate whether you are on track
• position your 401(k) for retirement income
• evaluate Roth conversion opportunities
• think through when and how to start withdrawals

2. You Are Facing a Major Decision

Maybe you are thinking about retiring early, going part-time, or stepping into a different role. Those choices can affect more than just your paycheck. They can also impact your benefits, taxes, healthcare, and long-term retirement plan.

A financial advisor can help you see how one decision may affect the rest of the picture.

3. You Feel Overwhelmed by Your Benefits

Intermountain offers valuable benefits, but that does not always mean they are easy to understand. Your 401(k), insurance options, and retirement-related decisions can start to feel overwhelming, especially when several decisions hit at once.

An advisor who understands Intermountain’s system can help clarify your options and help you avoid costly mistakes.

4. You Want Confidence About Replacing Your Paycheck

One of the biggest shifts in retirement is moving from a regular paycheck to living off Social Security, savings, and investments.

That can feel unsettling. A good advisor can help you build a plan for where your income will come from, how much you can safely spend, and how to make that income last. More than anything, that kind of plan can provide peace of mind.

What a Good Financial Advisor Should Help You With

A financial advisor should do more than manage investments. They should help you coordinate the bigger picture, including:

• creating a retirement income plan
• aligning your investments with when you will need the money, whether that be income needed now or income needed thirty years from now
• minimizing taxes on withdrawals
• planning for healthcare and insurance
• coordinating charitable giving and legacy goals

For many Intermountain employees, these decisions are closely connected. That is why it helps to work with someone who can bring all the moving parts together into one plan.

At Peterson Wealth Advisors, we use the Perennial Income Model™, a planning strategy designed to structure retirement income over time. The goal is to create a clear income plan rather than simply withdrawing money and hoping it works. This approach is designed to protect near-term income from market volatility, allow longer-term investments time to grow, and provide a clearer path for spending throughout retirement.

How to Choose the Right Advisor

If you decide to get help, choosing the right advisor matters. Here are a few things to look for:

Fiduciary standard. You want an advisor who is legally required to act in your best interest.

Fee-only compensation. Many people prefer an advisor who is paid directly for advice rather than through commissions.

Retirement planning experience. Retirement involves more than investments. You want someone who understands income planning, taxes, Social Security, and Medicare.

A comprehensive approach. The best advisors look at your full financial picture, not just your portfolio.

Final Thoughts

You have spent your career serving others. As you prepare for retirement, it is worth asking whether you want to handle every financial decision on your own or whether having a guide would help you move forward with more clarity and confidence.

For some people, a financial advisor is unnecessary. For others, the right advisor can simplify important decisions, reduce stress, and help them retire with greater peace of mind.

Thinking about retirement and wondering whether professional guidance would help? Visit petersonwealth.com or call (801) 225-0000 to schedule a conversation.

Peterson Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individualized financial advice. Please consult a qualified financial professional before implementing any strategy.

If you’ve worked at Intermountain Health, your 401(k) is likely one of your largest retirement assets. But as you transition out of the workforce, the key question becomes: What should I do with it now?

Making smart decisions about your Intermountain 401(k) can mean the difference between confidence and confusion in retirement. At Peterson Wealth Advisors, we specialize in helping retiring healthcare professionals make the most of their benefits, including how to structure their 401(k) withdrawals for long-term peace of mind.

Here’s what you need to know as you approach retirement.

Know What’s in Your Plan

Intermountain’s 401(k) Plan includes several important features:

• Pre-tax (Traditional) contributions
• Roth (after-tax) contributions
• Employer matching contributions
• Age-based catch-up contributions (starting at age 50)

You may also have investments spread across different types of funds, such as target date funds, index funds, or customized portfolios.

The key is understanding how these pieces work together and what they’ll mean for your income after you retire.

Roll It Over or Leave It in the Plan?

One of the biggest questions at retirement is whether to leave your 401(k) in the Intermountain plan or roll it over to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

Pros of Rolling Over:

• More investment choices
• Easier coordination with your spouse’s accounts
• Consolidation simplifies Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
• Easier to create a monthly income stream
• Tax-efficient donations to charity with Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)

Pros of Leaving It in the Plan:

• Continued access to low-cost institutional funds
• May have lower administrative fees
• Protection under ERISA rules (if applicable)

At Peterson Wealth, we help clients evaluate both options. Often, rolling over to an IRA gives retirees more control over income, tax strategies, and legacy planning—all while keeping costs low and structure high.

Plan for Income, Not Just Investments

A common mistake is focusing on account balances, not income flow. In retirement, your 401(k) is no longer just a savings account. Now it’s a paycheck replacement engine.

Our Perennial Income Model™ helps retirees:

• Allocate retirement funds into time-specific income buckets
• Protect the first 10 years of withdrawals from market volatility
• Grow later segments more aggressively to combat inflation

It’s a plan that makes your 401(k) feel like a pension . . . structured, stable, and sustainable. But with the flexibility to make changes as life changes, unlike a pension.

Don’t Forget the Tax Implications

Intermountain retirees often have both Traditional and Roth money in their 401(k). That’s great, but it also means careful planning is required.

• Traditional 401(k) withdrawals are fully taxable
• Roth 401(k) withdrawals are tax-free (if qualified)

We work with you to:

• Optimize the order of withdrawals
• Convert portions to Roth IRAs in low-tax years
• Avoid surprises from RMDs after age 73
• Donate to charity tax efficiently

It’s not just what you take out . . . it’s when and how you take it.

Plan for Your Spouse, Too

If you’re married, your 401(k) is part of a joint plan. We help Intermountain couples:

• Coordinate 401(k) strategies with spousal IRAs or pensions
• Set up beneficiary designations properly
• Build legacy strategies that support both partners, even if one passes away

You’re Not Alone

We’ve helped many Intermountain employees transition into retirement, and every plan is a little different. But one thing stays the same: peace of mind comes from having a structured, customized approach.

Ready to get more from your Intermountain 401(k)? Let’s build a personalized income plan around it.

Visit petersonwealth.com or call (801) 225-0000 to schedule your consultation.

Peterson Wealth Advisors is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before implementing any strategy.