Carolyn
Her Story
After accumulating wealth throughout the years as a biotech executive, Carolyn was thinking more about retirement. She had a variety of investment accounts, including 401ks from all of her employers, stock options, an ESPP, and multiple brokerage accounts.
Carolyn was pretty sure she had enough to retire but also hoped she could leave a legacy for her kids and grandkids.
She wanted a better plan that would allow her to retire confidently, knowing she was equipped to meet these goals.
Like most people, Carolyn had more questions than answers:
- How could she consolidate retirement funds?
- What is her money actually invested in?
- What are the tax implications of selling her stock options?
- Will she have enough money to pay for healthcare, especially if she retires before 65?
- How does she switch gears from working and saving money to living off of her investments?
She knew seeking professional financial help was the right choice to ease her mind and create a plan that truly worked for her and her family.
The first step for Carolyn was to sit down with a financial planning team that would actually listen to her questions and concerns. She wanted to be heard and not just sold to.
There is an understandable mixture of excitement and uncertainty regarding a retirement transition.
Once her goals were clearly documented, a personalized retirement plan that aligned with her values and priorities could be created.
As her financial planning team, we collaborated with her tax professional, and were able to:
- Establish a retirement timeline that included future financial changes (Social Security & Medicare)
- Organize her assets so she now knows she has enough money to fund what matters most
- Reduce potential taxes through the systematic sale of her stock options
- Maximize the effectiveness of her savings during her remaining working years
- Create an income stream to fund the first few years of retirement before Medicare and Social Security begin
With a comprehensive plan in place, Carolyn is able to bring back a sense of purpose and confidence to her remaining working years.
In the near future, she will be able to fully embrace retirement and her role as a grandparent and as her planning team, we will be there to help her every step of the way.
This is a case study and is for illustrative purposes only. Actual performance and results will vary. This case study does not constitute a recommendation as to the suitability of any investment for any person or persons having circumstances similar to those portrayed, and a financial advisor should be consulted. This case study does not represent actual clients but a hypothetical composite of various client experiences and issues. Any resemblance to actual people or situations is purely coincidental.
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