You spent your career
taking care of everyone else's future.
Now it's time to build a plan for yours. If you're a Texas teacher within five years of retirement, you're facing decisions about TRS, your 403(b), Social Security, and healthcare that most financial advisors don't understand — because they've never worked with someone like you.
Serving educators in Northwest ISD, Argyle ISD, Keller ISD, Denton ISD, and across North Texas.
Your retirement is uniquely complex — and most advisors don't get it.
Texas teachers don't have a simple 401(k)-and-Social-Security retirement. You have a pension system with 20+ annuity options, a 403(b) that may or may not be worth keeping, and until recently, no Social Security at all. That requires a different kind of plan.
TRS Has 20+ Retirement Options — and Nobody Explains Them
Standard annuity, Option 1 through 5, partial lump sum — the choices you make when you file are permanent. Most teachers pick based on a one-page handout from HR. The wrong choice can cost you hundreds of dollars every month for the rest of your life.
Social Security Just Changed Everything
The WEP/GPO repeal in 2024 means many Texas teachers now qualify for Social Security benefits they were previously denied. But the timing of when you claim — and how you coordinate it with your TRS pension — matters enormously. This is a once-in-a-generation planning window.
Your 403(b) Might Be Costing You
Many district-offered 403(b) plans are loaded with high-fee annuity products sold by insurance companies. The question isn't whether you have a 403(b) — it's whether you're paying 2% in fees for something that should cost 0.2%. And what to do about it before you retire.
TRS-Care to Medicare Is a Cliff, Not a Bridge
If you retire before 65, you're on TRS-Care. After 65, you're on Medicare. The transition isn't automatic, and the coverage gaps — especially around prescription drugs and supplemental plans — catch people by surprise every year.
I've sat across from teachers who gave 30 years to a classroom, did everything they were supposed to do, and still couldn't answer the most basic question: where does my paycheck come from after my last day of school?
It's not because they didn't plan. It's because no one ever helped them coordinate the pieces. The TRS pension is one decision. The 403(b) is another. Social Security — now that it's available — is a third. And none of these systems talk to each other.
That's the problem I solve.
Four income sources. Zero coordination. That's not a plan — it's inventory.
Most Texas teachers arrive at retirement with all the right pieces but no blueprint for how they fit together. The Retire Blessed Income Blueprint coordinates every source into one plan.
Almost every teacher I meet has the same situation: a TRS pension estimate she's looked at twice, a 403(b) she started contributing to fifteen years in, maybe a Roth IRA, and a vague sense that Social Security might now be in the picture. Four income sources, zero coordination. The Blueprint exists to turn that inventory into an actual paycheck.
Right here in Northlake. Not a call center. Not a 1-800 number.
My family lives here. My kids attend Northwest ISD schools. When I say I understand what it means to be part of this community, I mean it — I'm raising my family in the same neighborhoods where you've spent your career teaching.
I work with teachers and school staff across the districts that make up our corner of North Texas:
I'm not a statewide firm with a Texas teacher marketing page. I'm a one-advisor practice in Northlake, and I built this specialty because the teachers in my own community — the people who educate my children — deserve a retirement plan that actually fits how their benefits work.
Five problems. One coordinated solution.
The Retire Blessed Income Blueprint uses the G.R.A.C.E. Framework — five pillars of retirement income planning, each applied specifically to how Texas teacher retirement works.
G — Guaranteed Income Foundation
We start with your TRS pension and determine which of the 20+ annuity options gives you the strongest income floor. Then we layer in Social Security timing to maximize your guaranteed monthly income — the money that arrives whether markets are up or down.
R — Reserves for the Critical First Decade
Research shows that surviving the first five years of retirement without significant portfolio losses is the single most important factor in long-term success. We build a 2–5 year reserve from your 403(b) and savings so your investments never get sold at the wrong time.
A — Asset Growth That Outpaces Inflation
Your TRS pension has no cost-of-living adjustment. That means its purchasing power erodes every single year. We structure your investment portfolio to grow ahead of inflation so your retirement income still buys what it needs to in year 20.
C — Comprehensive Tax Planning
If you retire at 62 and don't claim Social Security until 67, you have a 3–5 year window where your income drops significantly — and that's the best time to do strategic Roth conversions from your 403(b) or IRA. Miss that window, and it's gone forever. We plan for it before you retire.
E — Estate and Legacy Coordination
The SECURE Act changed how inherited retirement accounts work — your heirs may now face a 10-year distribution clock that pushes them into higher tax brackets. We coordinate your TRS beneficiary designations, account titling, and Roth conversion strategy so your legacy transfers efficiently.
See the Full Blueprint ProcessThe families I work with don't have a savings problem. They have a coordination problem. And for Texas teachers, that coordination is more complex than almost any other profession.
Christopher Swan, CFP® · MBAIt starts with a conversation.
The Swan Fit Call is a free, 20–30 minute conversation. No preparation required. No commitment expected. No pressure applied.
We'll talk about where you are in your career, when you're thinking about retirement, and whether the Blueprint process is the right fit for your situation. If it's not, I'll tell you — and if I can point you somewhere better, I will.
Good questions to bring:
- Which TRS annuity option is right for my situation?
- Should I keep contributing to my 403(b), or do something different?
- How does the WEP/GPO repeal affect my Social Security?
- When should I actually file for Social Security?
- What happens to my healthcare between TRS-Care and Medicare?
- Is my spouse's retirement coordinated with mine?
Explore more retirement insights for educators
Social Security Timing: Should You Claim at 62, 67, or 70?
The decision of when to claim Social Security is one of the biggest financial choices you'll make in retirement. Here's how to think through the trade-offs.
Read more → TRS PlanningTRS Annuity Options: What Every Texas Teacher Needs to Know
With 20+ annuity options at retirement, choosing the right TRS payout structure is one of the most consequential decisions you'll make.
Read more → 403(b) StrategyShould You Roll Over Your 403(b) When You Retire?
Your district 403(b) served a purpose while you were working. But retirement changes the math on fees, flexibility, and withdrawal strategy.
Read more →You spent 30 years serving the classroom.
Your retirement plan should serve you.
If you're a Texas teacher in Northwest ISD, Argyle ISD, Keller ISD, or anywhere in North Texas — and you want a retirement income plan built by someone who understands how TRS, your 403(b), and Social Security actually fit together — I'd welcome the conversation.