Question 1

What is the Buckeye Shield Assessment?

Accepted Answer

The Buckeye Shield Assessment is a 10-question self-evaluation covering the key risk areas that affect a retirement plan: longevity, market volatility, inflation, taxes, sequence of returns, healthcare costs, long-term care, income gaps, legacy planning, and liquidity. Each answer is scored, and the total determines whether a retirement plan is Fortified, Vulnerable, or Critical.

Question 2

How is the assessment scored?

Accepted Answer

Each of the 10 questions offers four answer choices worth 10, 7, 3, or 0 points depending on how well-protected that area of the plan is. The points are added across all 10 questions for a total score out of 100. A score of 70 to 100 is Fortified, 50 to 69 is Vulnerable, and below 50 is Critical.

Question 3

Is the assessment free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The assessment is free with no obligation. After completing it, results are reviewed personally by Lee Boone at Buckeye Financial LLC, who can follow up to discuss what the score means and any gaps identified.

Question 4

Will my retirement savings last as long as I do?

Accepted Answer

This depends on your withdrawal rate, life expectancy, and how your assets are structured. The longevity risk section of the Buckeye Shield Assessment specifically evaluates whether your plan is funded to sustain you to age 95 or beyond, which is a common planning horizon for retirees today.

Question 5

What happens to my retirement if the stock market crashes?

Accepted Answer

The impact depends on how much of your retirement income is exposed to market volatility, and when the crash happens relative to when you start withdrawing. A downturn in the first few years of retirement, known as sequence of returns risk, can be far more damaging than the same downturn later on, since withdrawals during a down market lock in losses that a growing portfolio would otherwise recover from.

Question 6

How much money do I need for healthcare costs in retirement?

Accepted Answer

Estimates for a retired couple's lifetime healthcare costs, excluding long-term care, commonly run well above $300,000, not including premiums for supplemental coverage. This is separate from long-term care costs, which can run $10,000 a month or more for nursing home care and are usually not covered by Medicare.

Question 7

How do I know if I have a retirement income gap?

Accepted Answer

A retirement income gap exists when guaranteed income sources, such as Social Security and any pension, don't fully cover essential monthly living expenses, requiring withdrawals from savings to make up the difference. The larger that gap, the more a retirement plan depends on investment performance and withdrawal timing to hold up over a multi-decade retirement.

Question 8

What happens after I submit the assessment?

Accepted Answer

Results are shown immediately on screen, and a copy is sent to Lee Boone for personal review. He typically follows up within one business day to walk through the results and answer any questions, with no obligation to move forward.

Every retirement has holes. Do you know where yours are?

Your score is ready.

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