Financial advisors who understand commercial aviation.
Mandatory retirement at 65. Variable comp from regional FO to mainline captain. Airline-specific 401(k)s, pensions, and profit-sharing. Loss-of-medical risk. Matched with advisors who work with pilots every day.
Pilot finances have a hard deadline
The FAA mandates retirement at age 65. That single constraint reshapes everything: your earning window is compressed, your savings rate needs to be higher than most professions, and the years right before 65 have to be the most aggressive — not the most conservative. Combined with airline-specific pensions, profit-sharing, and the real risk of losing your medical certificate, generic planning isn't enough.
- Retirement-at-65 gap modeling. Unlike professions where you can keep working, you actually stop earning at 65. The savings math has to assume that.
- Pension decisions. Major airlines vary widely — Delta, United, American, Southwest each have distinct pension structures. Lump-sum-vs-annuity decisions can swing hundreds of thousands.
- Captain upgrade planning. A new mainline captain with a 3× pay jump has a small window to redirect savings before lifestyle absorbs it.
- Loss-of-medical disability insurance. Does your policy actually pay if you lose Class 1 medical? Language matters — not all aviation DI is real loss-of-license coverage.
- Furlough recovery. Industry cycles cost pilots years of earnings. Planning needs to assume at least one.
- International and expat tax. Contract pilots at Emirates, Qatar, Cathay, etc. face distinctive tax structures.
Tools & guides
Pilot Retirement-at-65 Gap Calculator
Compressed-timeline retirement modeling. How much do you need to save given the hard 65 deadline, and what's the gap today?
Financial Planning for Airline Pilots: The Complete Guide
Full career arc: regional build-up, mainline capture, captain upgrade, retirement planning, and post-65 transition.
Pilot Pension Decisions: Lump Sum vs Lifetime Annuity
How to evaluate an airline pension buyout, what the discount rate implies, and when each choice wins.
Loss of Medical: Disability Insurance for Pilots
Why standard group LTD fails pilots, what real loss-of-license coverage looks like, and typical premiums by age and carrier.
Captain Upgrade: What to Do With the Pay Jump
The 6-month window after upgrade is the highest-value planning moment of a pilot's career. Specific moves that compound.
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