RETIREMENT
Retirement planning, for the years before and after.
“I want to retire before 59½.”
Retiring early adds a few wrinkles: accessing retirement accounts, covering healthcare before Medicare, deciding when to claim Social Security, and choosing which accounts to draw from first. These decisions are easier to manage when they’re planned before your last day of work.
“I’m getting close to retirement and need to know if I’m ready.”
“Can I retire?” is rarely a yes-or-no question. To answer it well, we look at your spending, income sources, investments, and taxes. We also test what happens if markets, expenses, or life don’t go according to plan.
“I’m already retired and want to make sure my money lasts.”
Retirement changes the job your money has to do. We help you decide how much to take, which accounts to use, and how to adjust as markets, taxes, and life change.
“I have a pension decision to make.”
Lump sum or monthly income? Single life or survivor benefit? Because pension elections are often permanent, we compare the options in the context of your other income, assets, health, and family.
TAX PLANNING
Tax planning for today—and the decades ahead.
“My IRA is getting large, and I’m worried about future tax bills.”
A large traditional IRA or 401(k) can lead to larger required distributions and tax bills later. We model multi-year Roth conversions and other withdrawal strategies to see whether acting earlier could improve your long-term tax picture.
*Traditional IRA account owners have considerations to make before performing a Roth IRA conversion. These primarily include income tax consequences on the converted amount in the year of conversion, withdrawal limitations from a Roth IRA, and income limitations for future contributions to a Roth IRA. In addition, if you are required to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) in the year you convert, you must do so before converting to a Roth IRA.
“I have a lot of company stock in my 401(k) and don’t know what to do with it.”
If you hold appreciated employer stock inside a retirement plan, a strategy called Net Unrealized Appreciation may offer favorable tax treatment in the right circumstances. We help you evaluate the tradeoffs and coordinate the steps if it makes sense for your situation.
“My CPA prepares my return, but no one is planning ahead.”
Tax preparation looks backward. Tax planning looks forward. We look ahead for opportunities involving Roth conversions, charitable gifts, withdrawal timing, and other decisions, then coordinate with your tax professional when needed so those decisions are considered before the return is prepared.
“I want to give to charity in a tax-smart way.”
There may be a better way to give than simply writing a check. Depending on your situation, qualified charitable distributions, donor-advised funds, or gifts of appreciated stock may make your giving more tax-efficient.
High Earners & Equity Compensation
A higher income creates more options—and more decisions.
“My RSUs are vesting, and I don’t know what to sell.”
RSUs can build wealth, but they can also leave too much of it tied to one company. We help you decide what to sell, what to hold, and how each choice fits with your taxes, cash-flow needs, and other investments.
“I have stock options and don’t know when to exercise them.”
Incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options are taxed differently. We help you compare timing, concentration risk, cash needs, and potential tax consequences before you exercise or sell.
“I make good money but don’t know if I’m making the most of it.”
Making more money doesn’t automatically make the decisions easier. We help you prioritize workplace benefits, retirement accounts, backdoor and mega backdoor Roth strategies, deferred compensation, investing, and tax planning so the pieces work together.
“I have a high income and student loans. What should I prioritize?”
Should extra cash go toward loans, retirement, a home, or investing? We compare refinancing and forgiveness options where applicable, then build a plan around your career, benefits, taxes, and other goals.
BUSINESS OWNERS
Planning that connects the personal and the professional.
“I’m selling a business.”
Good planning can affect what you keep, how you’re paid, and what comes next. We help you model the personal financial side of a sale and work alongside your attorney, CPA, and other professionals. The earlier the conversation starts, the more options you may have.
“I need a retirement plan for my business.”
Choosing the right retirement plan involves more than selecting investments. We help business owners evaluate options such as 401(k)s, profit-sharing plans, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs, along with plan design, fiduciary responsibilities, investment selection, and ongoing support for you and your employees.
“My business is doing well, but I feel like I’m paying too much in taxes.”
For owners of LLCs and other closely held businesses, retirement plan design, cash flow, entity structure, and personal tax planning are often connected. We help bring those pieces together and coordinate with your CPA, attorney, or other professionals when needed so decisions support both the business and your personal goals.
Life Transitions
Planning for the moments that change everything.
“I just inherited assets and don’t know what to do with them.”
An inheritance often arrives during an emotional time. We help you understand what you received, which decisions are urgent, and what can wait—without feeling pressured to act before you’re ready. Then we build a plan for keeping, investing, selling, or using the assets in a way that fits your life.
“I’m getting divorced and need to understand what comes next.”
Divorce can reshape cash flow, taxes, retirement accounts, insurance, and long-term goals. We help you understand the financial impact of the decisions in front of you and build a plan for the next chapter.
“I lost my spouse and suddenly have to handle the finances.”
Losing a spouse can leave you facing financial decisions when there is already more than enough to process. We help you work through immediate needs, accounts, income, insurance, Social Security, and the longer-term plan at a pace that feels manageable.
“I’m caring for an aging parent and starting to worry about my own retirement.”
Supporting an aging parent while preparing for your own retirement can pull your finances in two directions. We help you understand what support may be needed, set realistic priorities, and build a plan that helps your family without losing sight of your own future.