11
Years in Fort Collins
$140M
Assets under management
3
People
About 80% of the people Larkspur works with are connected to Colorado State University. Retiring professors tell the next wave, and that's mostly how our client base has grown.
Tenured professors 25 or more years in, sitting on a PERA pension and a 403(b) they've barely looked at. Smart, analytical, and ready for a guide instead of a sales pitch.
Deans and department leaders weighing an early-retirement incentive window or a consulting arrangement after they step down. We build the income plan around it.
PERA works the same way whether it's a school district or a university. These clients need the same option-election walkthrough, just off a different campus.
10 questions · 3 minutes
This quiz is educational and not personalized advice.
Your result
The pieces are not yet joined up, which is the usual position and a very fixable one. The order matters more than the speed: spending first, then income, then tax.
Most of the structure is there. What is usually left at this stage is timing and tax: when to claim, what to draw first, and how to bridge to sixty-five.
On these measures you are in a position to choose your date rather than have it chosen for you. The work from here is maintenance and tax sequencing.
Five decisions, worked through in order, so each one informs the next instead of standing alone.
You and your planner lay out your service credit and age to see when Rule of 90 actually lands.
Your planner walks through each PERA payout option so you understand what each one means for your household.
You look at what's sitting in your 401(a) and 403(b) accounts and how they fit alongside your pension.
If CSU offers an incentive window, your planner reviews the terms against your own timeline before you decide.
You and your planner work out coverage options for the years between retirement and Medicare eligibility.
There is no single right date. It depends on your Rule of 90 timing, your PERA option election, and how healthcare coverage lines up before Medicare. Waiting a few months can change your monthly benefit for life. We walk through your specific dates so the decision is based on your numbers, not a guess.
PERA offers different payout options, and the right one depends on your spouse's age, other income, and how much survivor protection you need. There is no default answer. We model each option against your full retirement picture so you can see the tradeoffs before you sign anything.
This is one of the biggest gaps in a CSU retirement. Options include COBRA, a spouse's plan, or a marketplace policy, and each has different costs and timing rules. We build a bridge plan so you know exactly what coverage costs between your retirement date and Medicare eligibility.
We run your PERA pension, 403(b) or TIAA balance, and other savings through a full income plan that includes the extras that matter to you, like a second property. You get a clear answer on what your retirement can support, not a vague reassurance.
PERA rules are set by state law, and the legislature can make changes over time. We stay current on PERA policy and build plans that can flex if rules shift, but we never promise a specific benefit will stay fixed forever.
Many CSU retirees keep working in some form, whether consulting or teaching part time. We build an income plan that accounts for that extra earnings, so it works with your pension and savings instead of creating tax surprises.
Book time through Calendly, or come to the fall Retiring from CSU seminar. Either way, you will hear from one of us within one business day.
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