Clients

The Request

A young, dual-career family with two children in school reached out after relocating from the Northeast to Florida. With one spouse working in tech remotely and the other building her career locally, their income was strong—but their priorities were competing. College savings, mortgage paydown, retirement contributions, family vacations, and managing equity compensation all felt like they were pulling in different directions. “We’re doing well, but we don’t know where our money should go first. We just need clarity and a plan.”

The Solutions

We began by building a clear cash flow picture—mapping out what came in, what went out, and what could be redirected toward long-term goals. Together, we identified and prioritized their financial objectives: saving for their children’s education, ensuring retirement readiness, and preserving flexibility for near-term family experiences.

To support college planning, we calculated projected costs and set up monthly contributions into 529 plans. Because the wife was the primary earner, we recommended life insurance to protect the family’s lifestyle should something unexpected happen. The husband’s restricted stock units and annual bonus presented another layer of complexity, particularly from a tax perspective. We developed a strategy that timed RSU sales and bonus deferrals in coordination with their income bracket, funding goals for vacations and a vehicle purchase, and their longer-term investment objectives. This tax-sensitive approach reduced unnecessary liabilities while keeping funds available when they were needed most. Finally, we adjusted his 401(k) allocation to better integrate with the family’s broader plan.

This tailored strategy gave the couple clarity, balance, and confidence. They could now enjoy family vacations today while still making disciplined progress toward education funding, retirement security, and long-term tax efficiency.

The Request

A prospective client reached out to us shortly after learning she would be receiving a sizeable inheritance from her grandmother’s estate. While mourning her loss, she was also faced with overwhelming financial questions that carried both emotional and practical weight.

Her inheritance included retirement accounts, life insurance proceeds, after-tax investments, and a family home. She wondered: “What taxes will I owe? What paperwork is required? Should I keep my grandmother’s investments as they are, or restructure them for my own situation?”

The Solutions

In a complimentary consultation, we began by organizing the client’s financial picture and gathering the necessary documents. Our review revealed that each asset—retirement accounts, taxable investments, life insurance, and real estate—carried unique tax rules and transfer requirements. We guided her step-by-step through the process, identifying the most efficient way to title and transfer each one.

With the assets now consolidated under her name, our focus turned to planning for the future. We explained the different tax implications: how inherited retirement accounts are subject to required distributions and income tax, while life insurance is received tax-free; how step-up in basis rules reduce capital gains exposure on taxable investments and real estate; and how managing these accounts in coordination could provide both liquidity and long-term growth. By reallocating the inherited funds to align with her risk tolerance and family goals, we created a strategy that balanced immediate needs with multi-generational planning opportunities.

What began as uncertainty during a difficult transition ultimately became clarity, direction, and confidence for her financial future.

The Request

A husband and wife in their late 50s, both longtime professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, were referred to us for a retirement planning consultation. They had been disciplined savers and always envisioned retiring at 65, but they wondered if—with the right strategy—they might be able to move that date forward.

The Solutions

After walking through our planning process, the couple chose to engage our services. We began with a detailed review of their current financial picture and clarified their primary objective: sustaining their standard of living comfortably through retirement.

From there, we built a tailored plan. Their portfolio was heavily concentrated in publicly traded investments, so we diversified their holdings by incorporating private equity and private debt, providing an additional layer of return potential and risk management. We also identified that certain investments at an outside institution were unintentionally pushing them into a higher tax bracket. By restructuring into more tax-sensitive vehicles, we reduced their overall tax drag.

The wife’s pension added another layer of complexity. We modeled both the lump sum and payout options, demonstrating how each would affect long-term cash flow, taxes, and risk. Meanwhile, the husband held a significant amount of highly appreciated employer stock. To manage this, we implemented a Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) strategy, allowing him to unlock diversification while benefiting from preferential tax treatment. With these strategies in place, we were able to recommend retirement at age 62—three years earlier than they had anticipated—giving them both confidence and peace of mind that their financial future was built on thoughtful, tax-efficient planning.