Helping Thousands & $200m Navigate Retirement
As of June 1, 2026
How to Navigate Being Forced into Early Retirement
Whether it's a VERA offer, a reduction in force, or agency restructuring, you're facing retirement years before you planned. You have a pension, TSP, maybe FEHB - but navigating FERS rules, the special retirement supplement, and the bridge to Social Security is complicated and each decision impacts the next. There's a way through, and we are here to help you navigate this process from start to finish.
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What is the 3 Bucket System + how it helps avoid the impact of retiring into a down market.
We Created the 3-Bucket System to solve one problem - the danger of being forced to sell your investments at the worst possible time - in a down market - in the early and most fragile retirement years.
Bucket 1, Your Retirement Paycheck. Focuses on income stability in those first critical 7 years. Bucket 1 is a mix of conservative fixed-income investments that sustain your living expenses and expenses in the first ~7 years of retirement. This means you don't rely on selling growth assets during a downturn. This approach ensures that Buckets 2 and 3 are untouched, so that they can build medium and long term portfolio growth.
Bucket 2, Medium Term Growth to Refill Bucket 1. Bucket 2 is a mix of moderate-risk investments designed to replenish Bucket 1 over time and smooth out intermediate needs.
Bucket 3, Long Term Wealth Preservation. Bucket 3 is a mix of equities and growth-oriented assets that ride out market cycles and build real growth over decades - the growth needed to to refill Bucket 2, and outpace projected inflation.
What it’s like to work with Nova Wealth, from the First Conversation to 20 Years with us.
Money conversations can feel intimidating - full of jargon - a little embarrassing if you're not sure you've done everything right - and sometimes rushed toward a product you didn't ask about. That's not how this should feel, and it's not how we work.
We Understand your life. We start with your goals, concerns, family, and what you want retirement to look like - before any recommendations.
We Build a written plan with several options for retirement dates, social security, healthcare and withdrawals. A clear strategy connecting income, taxes, Social Security, withdrawals, healthcare, and long-term security into one picture.
We battle test that plan to ensure it holds up in all market conditions during each phase of your retirement.
We put your plan in motion, carefully. We review before we change anything, so moves are made with planning, not panic.
Then we keep it current with Regular check-ins and updates as your life, the markets, and the rules change.
And we always keep you informed and make sure you are aware of and have input on any major decision.
Do it Together
Join an Open Call To Put Your Retirement #s Together
Join Elizabeth, Jeff, and Brett to run you through our frameworks and your questions for navigating retirement.
1 on 1
Schedule a Retirement Strategy Call
Join our partners Elizabeth and Brett for a private call to discuss your situation and your goals.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Find answers to common questions about forced early retirement for federal employees. From understanding VERA and VSIP to navigating TSP withdrawals and FEHB continuation, these FAQs help you navigate this challenging transition.
Immediate means your pension starts right away, and FEHB and possibly the Special Retirement Supplement come with it. Deferred means you leave federal service now but wait years - often until 62 - with no pension, no FEHB, and no supplement in between.
What's the difference between immediate and deferred retirement?