FRS Retirement Planning for Sarasota's Public Employees.
Helping Sarasota County teachers, sheriff's deputies, and county employees navigate Florida Retirement System decisions and high-income retirement planning with fee-only, fiduciary guidance.
A high-income Gulf Coast market with a substantial FRS-active workforce.
Sarasota County is consistently ranked among Florida's most affluent — and its public employees reflect that: many Sarasota County Schools teachers and administrators have spent 20 or more years building FRS pension benefits while also accumulating significant 403(b) and personal savings. Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies, county government workers, and state agency employees round out one of the Gulf Coast's largest FRS-active workforces.
In a high-income market like Sarasota, the FRS pension decision — and especially DROP timing — has federal tax implications that a generic advisor may miss. How your pension income interacts with Social Security, deferred compensation drawdowns, and investment distributions in retirement directly affects your federal bracket, Medicare IRMAA exposure, and net income across a 25-year retirement. That requires someone who understands both FRS and retirement income tax strategy.
Benowitz Wealth Management serves FRS members across Sarasota and Manatee counties with fee-only, fiduciary guidance: no commissions, no product sales.
Learn more about our approachSarasota public employees at every stage — including those with complex financial pictures.
From SCSD teachers approaching DROP to county workers managing large deferred comp balances — we help Sarasota public employees build retirement plans that work.
What we help Sarasota-area FRS members work through.
Pension vs. Investment Plan
A side-by-side FRS comparison tailored to your salary, years of service, and total financial picture — including outside accounts that interact with your pension choice.
Learn moreDROP Planning & Tax Strategy
In a high-income market like Sarasota, DROP distributions can push you into a higher federal bracket in the distribution year. We plan around that from the start.
Learn more403(b), 457(b) & Roth Strategy
Coordinate supplemental accounts with your FRS pension and plan Roth conversion windows during low-income years — often the first 1–3 years after retirement.
Learn moreRetirement Income Planning
Sequence pension, Social Security, and account distributions to manage federal bracket exposure and IRMAA thresholds across a 25- or 30-year retirement.
Learn moreServing Sarasota-area public employees — talk with a fiduciary advisor about your FRS retirement.
The first conversation is free and commits to nothing — we listen first, present options second.
Let's build the retirement you earned.
A conversation costs nothing. A clear picture of where you stand is worth everything.