Case Studies

"I just lost my job after decades with the company. What should I do with my retirement plan, company stock, and severance?"

Marital Status: Married
Age: 58
Financial Background: Long-time Formosa Plastics employee with a significant 401(k), company benefits, stock holdings, and severance package
Primary Objective: Needs guidance navigating a career transition while protecting his retirement goals

Background

John spent more than 25 years working at Formosa Plastics, building a strong financial foundation through consistent retirement contributions, employer benefits, and disciplined saving. After a company restructuring impacted his position, John was faced with several important financial decisions, including how to handle his 401(k), evaluate his company stock exposure, manage healthcare coverage, and determine whether to seek another career opportunity or begin preparing for retirement.

"I’ve worked hard to build my business, but I’m struggling to balance my business finances and my personal financial goals."

Marital Status: Married
Age: 52
Financial Background: Small business owner managing fluctuating cash flow, business expenses, personal investments, and limited retirement savings
Primary Objective: Gain financial clarity, strengthen her business and personal finances, and build a path toward long-term financial stability

Background

Maria spent more than 20 years building her local business from the ground up. While her company provided independence and a source of income, rising expenses, changing market conditions, and the challenges of managing business cash flow created financial uncertainty. Much of Maria’s time and resources were focused on keeping the business running, leaving little time to focus on her own financial plan.

As Maria looked toward the future, she wanted to better understand how to balance reinvesting in her business, paying herself consistently, building retirement savings, and protecting the wealth she had worked so hard to create

"I inherited money, but I want to make sure I handle it correctly."

Marital Status: Single
Age: 42
Financial Background: Recently inherited investment accounts and property from a family member
Primary Objective: Understand his options and create a responsible plan for managing inherited assets

Background

David unexpectedly inherited a significant amount of wealth after the passing of a family member. While he was grateful for the opportunity, he quickly realized that managing inherited assets came with complex decisions involving investments, taxes, estate planning, and long-term financial goals.



Having never worked with an advisor before, David wanted to ensure he was making thoughtful decisions rather than reacting emotionally. Through financial planning, David was able to develop a strategy for managing his inheritance, aligning his investments with his goals, and creating a plan for future generations.

"I have saved for retirement, but I don't know if I'm actually ready."

Marital Status: Married
Age: 64
Financial Background: Multiple retirement accounts, Social Security eligibility, and investment accounts held in different places
Primary Objective: Determine retirement readiness and create an income strategy

Background

Susan spent decades saving through employer retirement plans and personal investments. Although she was a disciplined saver, her accounts were spread across multiple financial institutions, making it difficult to see the full picture of her retirement readiness.



As retirement approached, Susan had questions about when to claim Social Security, how much she could safely withdraw, and how taxes would impact her income. Working with an advisor allowed Susan to organize her finances, evaluate different retirement scenarios, and create a coordinated plan for her retirement years.

"I've been fortunate in retirement, and I want to leave a meaningful financial gift to my grandchildren while I'm here to see the impact."

Marital Status: Widow, 5 grandchildren
Age: 74, Retired
Financial Background: Approximately $2.8 million in investable assets, retirement income from investments and Social Security, debt-free
Primary Objective: Develop a tax-efficient strategy to transfer wealth to her grandchildren while preserving her financial independence.

Background

After decades of disciplined saving and investing, Linda entered retirement with more than enough assets to support her lifestyle. As her grandchildren grew older, she began thinking less about her own financial needs and more about the opportunities she could create for them.



Linda wanted to help pay for college, assist with future milestones such as buying a first home or starting a business, and leave each grandchild with a lasting financial foundation. She also wanted to ensure any gifts were made thoughtfully, in a tax-efficient manner, and in a way that encouraged responsible financial habits rather than providing unrestricted access to a large inheritance.

"I just got divorced and need to rebuild my financial plan and understand my next steps."

Marital Status: Divorced
Age: 57
Financial Background: Previously shared finances with a spouse and now managing assets independently
Primary Objective: Establish financial independence and prepare for retirement

Background

After decades of shared financial decisions, Lisa found herself navigating retirement planning on her own following a divorce. She needed to understand how the changes would impact her retirement savings, income needs, insurance coverage, and estate planning.



Lisa wanted confidence that her financial decisions reflected her new circumstances and future goals. With guidance from an advisor, she created a personalized plan focused on protecting her assets, managing retirement income, and building financial independence.

"I left my job. Should I leave my retirement account where it is or move it?"

Marital Status: Married
Age: 50
Financial Background: Recently changed employers with an existing 401(k) and company benefits
Primary Objective: Evaluate retirement account options and create a long-term investment strategy

Background

After accepting a new position, Robert needed to decide what to do with his former employer’s retirement plan. He had questions about leaving the account in place, rolling it over, investment choices, and how his decision could impact future retirement planning.



Rather than making a decision based solely on convenience, Robert worked with an advisor to review his options, understand the potential advantages and disadvantages, and ensure his retirement savings remained aligned with his goals.

"We’re just getting started. How do we make the right financial decisions now?"

Marital Status: Married
Age: Early 30s
Financial Background: Young professionals with growing incomes, workplace retirement accounts, student loans, and early investments
Primary Objective: Build a strong financial foundation and create a roadmap for future goals

Background

Emily and Daniel recently started building their life together. Both have established careers and are earning more than they were early in their careers, but they wanted to be intentional about how they managed their finances moving forward.

While they had started contributing to their employer retirement plans, they were unsure if they were saving enough, investing appropriately, or prioritizing the right goals. They also had questions about balancing retirement savings, paying down debt, building an emergency fund, purchasing a home, and planning for future family goals.



Because they were early in their financial journey, Emily and Daniel wanted guidance before financial decisions became more complicated. Working with an advisor helped them create a personalized financial plan focused on building wealth, protecting what they had started, and creating a clear path toward their long-term goals.

"Will my retirement savings last for the rest of my life?"

Marital Status: Divorced

Age: 63, Planning to Retire Within the Next Year

Financial Background: $1.4 million in retirement accounts, $350,000 in taxable savings, eligible for a pension and Social Security

Primary Objective: Create a dependable retirement income strategy that supports his lifestyle while helping his savings last throughout retirement.

Background

After more than 35 years as an engineering manager, David was ready to retire but had one lingering concern: whether he had enough saved to confidently replace his paycheck for the next 25 to 30 years. While he had accumulated substantial retirement savings, he wasn't sure when to claim Social Security, how to coordinate his pension benefits, or how much he could safely withdraw from his investment portfolio each year.

David wanted a retirement plan that would provide reliable income while helping protect his assets from market volatility, inflation, taxes, and unexpected healthcare expenses.

"I want to minimize my tax liability, but I don’t know how."

Marital Status: Single

Age: 63, Preparing to Retire

Financial Background: Company pension, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and taxable investment accounts totaling approximately $1.6 million

Primary Objective: Develop a tax-efficient retirement strategy while creating a coordinated plan for income, investments, and retirement account withdrawals.

Background

Karen spent more than 30 years building a successful career as a marketing director and diligently saving for retirement. As she approached retirement, she felt confident about her financial position but became concerned about how taxes could impact her retirement income and long-term wealth.



With income expected from her company pension, Social Security, and multiple investment accounts, Karen wanted to understand how to structure her withdrawals and manage her assets in a way that could help reduce unnecessary taxes. She had savings spread across a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and brokerage account but was unsure how to coordinate these accounts effectively.