Why risk increases-not decreases-the closer you get to retiring

As professionals approach retirement, their margin for error shrinks, yet many remain invested as if time is unlimited. Sunil explains sequence-of-returns risk and why relying solely on growth can expose retirees to unnecessary danger during the transition from accumulation to income. He helps professionals understand when priorities must shift toward sustainability, predictability, and protection.

About Sunil Patel

Sunil Patel, podcast guest

Retirement Income Strategist Helping Professionals Turn Savings Into Reliable Lifetime Income

$300K+ Medical bills that reshaped his career~40 Years Financial-services experience2 Professional financial-planning designationsFounder Impact Your Wealth

Dr. Sunil Patel came into financial planning through lived experience, not market theory. When his former wife became seriously ill and medical bills exceeded $300,000, he encountered a problem that would shape his career: no one could clearly explain how families were supposed to protect themselves financially from long-term care and health-related costs. That gap between what people assume is covered and what actually is led him to get licensed and begin studying retirement risk from the inside out.

Over nearly four decades in financial services, Sunil has observed the same pattern repeat. Many people do what they are told: save consistently, invest prudently, avoid obvious mistakes. Yet as retirement approaches, they are often unsure how income will work, how taxes will affect withdrawals, or how healthcare and longevity risks fit into the picture. What looks secure on paper can feel uncertain the moment paychecks stop.

As the founder of Impact Your Wealth, Sunil focuses on helping clients prepare for retirement by addressing the risks that matter most after accumulation ends: dependable income during market downturns, tax efficiency, survivor planning, and the financial impact of long-term care. His work often includes annuities, insurance reviews, premium-financed life insurance, and long-term care strategies—not as products, but as tools used within a broader plan to create predictability and reduce stress.

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