Financial Planning for Your Career

Career Planning & Financial Planning

Are you thinking of going in a new directior or have you just gotten a big promotion? Whether you are contemplating more or less income with your career choices let us model all the options before and after taxes. Information is power and we want our clients' to be in the drivers seat by knowing the implications of career decisions. Starting a business, going back to corporate life, leaving for a non profit, considering part-time, it's your life, do it your way.

Salary Negotiation

It is often hard for people to toot their own horn. When you find yourself in a salary negotiation or the sale of thier busines, it is essential to objectively learn your worth. Evaluate what it is that you bring to the table. Do your research and find out what the salary range or valuations are in your market. We will pull a team of experts together so you increase your liklihood of success. Prepare your talking points well. Lead with confidence and gratitude. Rehearse the discussion in advance. Do not be afraid to ask for what you deserve. By the time you have "the conversation" you will be prepared for any response. and your best next alternative if need be. Life is a series of choices. We cannot control others but you can control what you decide to do.

Benefits Valuation

A benefits valuation is a customized, comparative analysis of how benefit plans compare to peer groups. Overall points of comparison include values, rankings, index, employee profiles, and quartile values. We look at benefit plans such as retirement savings, health groups, time loss, and even nontraditional benefits such as educational assistance and long-term care. We consider the workforce composition of a salaried population developed from a national cross-section of representative companies that vary in industry, size, and geography. The comparison is presented with a summary detailing the overall competitive positioning of benefit plans and how they are driven by various factors.

Planning for a Career Change

Planning for a career change is crucial to ensuring that your finances do not suffer amid it all. A career change can be a positive way to ensure that your life is more in line with your overall "why", and that you are being compensated in a way that accurately reflects your worth in the market you serve. Some steps to consider are building an emergency fund for at least six months of expenses, do a financial reality check, keep your eye on extra everyday expenses, decide the best course of action with your employer's retirement account, and ensure that you know where you’re headed before putting in a notice at your current job.

Business Exit Planning

There are two types of business succession: Planned and Unplanned. If you can plan and orchestrate your exit from your business, it's truly the best of all worlds for you, your family, and your employees. Through proper planning and collaboration with the other professional advisors in your life, we'll help you and your business enter desired circumstances after your exit. What will happen in the following days, months, and years if you die or have health issues that remove you from your business? Succession needs can occur before your planned time horizon. We help you define those needs as a business owner. Your succession plan can help ensure a smooth transition of your business to new leadership, mitigate taxes, prevent a loss of control over the disposition of your company, and avoid a decline in the value of your business in the event of your death or unexpected disability.

Five Major Objectives of Business Exit Planning

Ensure Business Runs as Usual – A retired business owner and/or their dependents may rely solely on the business’s success for their financial well-being. Therefore, ensuring that the company continues to run efficiently and effectively is a key component. Sound planning provides the needed tools and strategies to ensure that the business can continue to thrive in the event of an owner retiring or in the event of an owner’s sudden incapacitation or death.
Maximize Value – The ultimate objective of any succession plan is to increase profitability and create maximum value so that the retired owner and their dependents can rely upon the business for their financial welfare.
Minimize Taxes – Taxes can be a killer in the business world. Taking steps to minimize taxes now and in the future will ensure that your business profits are just that, profits. You have worked hard to develop your business and ensure profitability. You don’t want to pay out more of your hard-earned money in taxes than you need to.
Ensure a Smooth Transition – A smooth transition of ownership or control of an organization is vital to ensure the continued success of a business. Many factors can affect the transitional stage of a business. It is important to consider them ahead of time.
Determine Successors – Who will manage or take ownership of the business if the owner becomes incapacitated, passes away, or chooses to retire? It is important to determine this in advance as often as possible. Whether you have children, you will groom to be your successors, a person within the organization, or otherwise; this is a key component of successful succession planning. Making these individuals aware of the plan and preparing them will ensure the continued success of your business.