The Legacy Blueprint
The Goal
Keep more. Grow more. Leave more. That is not a slogan, it is the structure of every plan we build. Most people approaching retirement have collected financial pieces over the years: a 401(k) here, an old pension there, a brokerage account, an insurance policy, a will written a decade ago. The Legacy Blueprint connects those pieces into one written strategy, so every decision supports the next instead of working against it.
Below you will find the three pillars that organize your plan and the four phases that move you from a first conversation to a lasting relationship. Use the links to jump to any section.
Without a strategy, complexity multiplies; taxes grow, decisions pile up, and legacy intentions get lost in translation.
Keep: The Shield Layer
The Shield Layer protects what you have already built, and the biggest threat to it is tax. For most retirees, the IRS is the single largest expense they will face, larger than housing, larger than healthcare. Yet most plans only react to taxes one year at a time. Our Retirement Tax Planning work sits at the center of this pillar.
In the Keep pillar, we look at your entire tax picture across the rest of your life: which accounts to draw from and in what order, how to manage required minimum distributions, when a Roth conversion makes sense, and how to avoid the hidden tax traps that catch retirees, from Social Security taxation to Medicare surcharges. The goal is simple. Keep more of what is yours.
Grow: The Momentum Layer
The Momentum Layer is about growth, but growth in retirement is not about chasing the highest return. It is about earning the return you actually need, with no more risk than your plan requires. We build portfolios around the income you will draw and the time horizon you are working with, not a one-size-fits-all model. This pillar covers investment optimization and retirement income planning together.
That means matching investments to purpose: stability for the income you need in the next few years, growth for the decades your retirement may last, and a clear plan for how the two work together when markets fall. Purposeful growth, not guesswork.
Leave: The Legacy Layer
You worked your whole life to build something. The Legacy Layer makes sure it goes where you want, when you want, with as little lost to taxes and friction as possible. We review your beneficiary designations, coordinate with your estate documents, and plan the most efficient way to transfer assets to your family or the causes you care about.
Estate and legacy planning is not only for the very wealthy. It is for anyone who wants their wishes honored and their family spared confusion at the hardest possible time.
Wealth is complex, your plan shouldn’t be.
The four phases
The Legacy Blueprint moves through four phases. Each one builds on the last, which is why we treat them as a single journey rather than separate services.
Phase 1: The Clarity Session
We start by understanding your full picture: your goals, your family, your timeline, and the accounts you already have. This is a short conversation, about 15 minutes to start and up to an hour for a full session, by phone, video, or in person at our Hill Country office in Boerne. You leave with clarity on where you stand and whether Kraus Capital is the right fit. There is no cost and no obligation.
Phase 2: The Blueprint Build
Next, we engineer your coordinated strategy across all three pillars. This includes a multi-year tax projection, an income plan, an investment policy, a Social Security claiming strategy, a healthcare and Medicare plan, and a review of your estate documents. It typically takes two to four working sessions over a few weeks. You leave with a written, integrated plan you can actually follow.
Phase 3: The Optimization Review
A plan is only as good as it holds up under pressure. In this phase we stress-test every decision against the things that derail retirements: market downturns, a long life, a healthcare shock, and changes to tax law. We model the scenarios and adjust the plan so it works across realistic futures, not just the best case. You leave confident that the plan holds.
Phase 4: The Legacy Launch
Finally, we put the plan into action and keep it current. We meet two to four times a year, communicate as life changes, and review your taxes and beneficiaries annually. Markets shift, tax law changes, and families grow. The Legacy Launch is the ongoing, fiduciary relationship that keeps your plan aligned with your life.
What makes this different
Most financial advice is product-led or account-led. Someone manages one account or sells one product, and no one owns the whole picture. The Legacy Blueprint is coordinated, written, and fiduciary, with tax planning at the center because that is where most retirement income is won or lost. You always know what the plan is, why each piece exists, and who is responsible for it. See how it spans all of our services.
Is this a good fit?
We are honest about the fact that Kraus Capital is the right fit for some people and not for others. Being upfront about it saves everyone time.
We're a fit if you
- Are ages 55–70 and at, near, or early in retirement.
- Have at least $700,000 in investable assets.
- Want one coordinated, written plan not a single product or a quick trade.
- Value a long-term relationship with a fiduciary.
We're not a fit if you
- Are an active day trader.
- Want only one-off, transactional advice.
- Hold less than $700,000 in investable assets.
- Prefer a single product or one quick recommendation.
Not sure where you land? The free assessment is the fastest way to find out.
No more juggling advisors. No more wondering what’s being missed. Just clarity, strategy, and proactive guidance delivered by a team who sees the whole picture.
Start Your Legacy Blueprint with a Free Assessment
Fifteen minutes is enough to begin. We will help you see your full picture and whether we are the right fit, with no obligation and no pressure.
Disclosures: Investment advisory services are offered through Kraus Capital, a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Kraus Capital and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.
Brian Kraus is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. The CFP® marks are owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and are used in accordance with CFP Board guidelines.
Charles Schwab serves as the independent custodian for client assets. Kraus Capital is not affiliated with, and does not receive compensation from, Charles Schwab for custodial services. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
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