Reflections on Retirement: A Letter from Liz Niehaus

Liz Niehaus served Truepoint Wealth Counsel clients as a wealth advisor for 17 years and leaves behind an impressive and meaningful legacy as she prepares for her retirement at the end of June 2024. Recently relocated to Hilton Head Island, Liz shares a few reflections on her career, her time with Truepoint, and what she looks forward to in the “second act’” she will share in her new home with her husband Jim. 

After decades of working full time, raising a family, and staying involved in the local Cincinnati community, I have years of experience saying “no”—I simply didn’t have time to do everything. Now, as my career winds down and I look ahead to retirement, I have found myself taking the advice of a good friend: say yes. 

My first big “yes” of retirement came a few years ago when Jim and I sat down with our Truepoint team to discuss the future. They ran financial projections to see if we could consider retiring or if it would be wiser to wait a few more years. It was liberating to see the results and realize we could comfortably choose a 2024 retirement date.  

Along with our financial projections, our team also walked us through the “Life Planning” process that will be familiar to many of our clients. We spent time together completing the planning tools and envisioning what a fulfilling retirement would look like for Jim and me. We wanted to ensure we were aligned on our vision for the future. 

Liz and Jim Niehaus at home on Hilton Head Island.

Our next big “yes” came several years before our last days in the office. Jim and I have been visiting Hilton Head Island for many years, taking our kids on vacation when they were young and making annual trips to visit friends. We’ve always loved the area because of the weather, the active lifestyle, and the vibrant social community—right up my alley! Where better to spend our retirement?

So, on one of our visits, we agreed to meet a realtor. By the end of the week, we put in an offer on a house.

When we bought the house, we still had a few years of work (and a lot of renovations) ahead of us, but the time flew by. Before we knew it, we were selling the house we’d lived, worked, and raised our kids in and saying goodbye (for now) to Cincinnati. 

We’ve spent the last few months making HHI our new home and have loved every minute. I’ve continued to work remotely, with visits back to Cincinnati on occasion. As my work has slowly wound down, I’ve had time to reflect on my career and the time I’ve spent with Truepoint. 

Fourteen years ago, I became the first chair of the Women’s Wealth Counsel, a group we founded as a community for our female clients, particularly widows, to help them become more comfortable and confident in understanding and managing their finances.

At the time, gender equity wasn’t really a part of the conversation in the financial industry, although “women’s initiatives” have become more common now. 

Liz, with succeeding chairs: Abby Tuke, Deanna Sicking, Chris Carleton.

While many firms now “talk the talk,” at Truepoint half or more of our advisors and shareholders are women—that’s unusual in our industry, and I’m very proud to have spent so much of my career at a company that values gender equity both in our relationships with clients and on our team. I’ve been thrilled to see how the Women’s Wealth Counsel has grown over the years, culminating most recently in our most highly attended Annual Luncheon event to date. 

I’m also pleased to reflect on the more recent inception of another group, the Truepoint Aging Task Force. Because I’ve served many older clients over the years, I was asked to lead this group in researching and vetting resources for those who are aging or caregiving for an aging loved one, to share with our clients and community partners. 

While leading initiatives like these stand out as professional accomplishments, it’s truly the personal relationships with clients that I reflect on most fondly. While the practical element of my job has always been satisfying—I love reviewing a financial plan!—the fulfillment I’ve felt from my work really comes from bringing clients confidence and peace of mind to retire, to live comfortably, and to pursue the vision they have for their future. 

In fact, guiding my clients through their “second act” has given me some useful perspective myself. One client left on a month-long trip to Europe days after his retirement—I took a page out of his book, and Jim and I plan to leave for a two-week safari in August, which will serve as an important break between our work lives and the start of our retirement. 

It’s these relationships that I’ll miss most in this new chapter. I’ve celebrated countless weddings, anniversaries, births, retirements, and more alongside clients over the years—and I hope to continue to do so even in my own retirement.  

I’ll also miss working with our team here at Truepoint. I love my teammates and I truly believe we have the best team in the industry. However, now a client myself, I plan to stay involved with the Women’s Wealth Counsel and Truepoint and visit often. 

Liz and longtime Truepoint colleagues Janel Carroll, Chris Carleton, and Deanna Sicking at a Truepoint event in Hilton Head Island.
Liz with her husband, children and grandchildren.

Our days here in HHI have already been good to us. I’ve found ways to fill my free time by joining a few organizations that are active in our community here, and I hope to find a group where my skills can make a difference. Once my retirement is official, I’ll also begin taking golf and pickleball lessons to take advantage of the great weather and to stay active every day.

Jim and I feel we are living our best lives since the move. We can’t wait to see where saying “yes” will take us next. 

We’d like to thank Liz Niehaus for 17 years of service and dedication to our firm. Liz’s impact on our clients and our team has been massive and she will be dearly missed. Congratulations on an incredible career, Liz!

This testimonial was provided by a current client of Truepoint, Inc. This client was not compensated for this testimonial. A material conflict of interest exists since this client is a former employee of Truepoint, Inc.

Truepoint Wealth Counsel is a fee-only Registered Investment Adviser (RIA). Registration as an adviser does not connote a specific level of skill or training nor an endorsement by the SEC. More detail, including forms ADV Part 2A & Form CRS filed with the SEC, can be found at TruepointWealth.com. Neither the information, nor any opinion expressed, is to be construed as personalized investment, tax or legal advice. The accuracy and completeness of information presented from third-party sources cannot be guaranteed.

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