Case Studies

Case Study #2

Janice (74) – Helping her make a bigger impact while feeling confident about her financial future

The Situation:
Janice, a 74-year-old widow, was feeling uncertain and skeptical about her financial future. After years of frustration with financial advisors and products pushed by her late husband’s colleagues, she was left with speculative investments that didn’t match her conservative approach. She was nervous about her finances after her husband’s passing and wanted a more stable plan that aligned with her values. Her main goal was to live comfortably while also giving to her favorite charities in a tax-efficient way.

What She Needed:
Janice needed a financial strategy that aligned with her more conservative risk tolerance and provided a clear path to charitable giving. She was looking for a plan that would support her lifestyle while maximizing the impact of her charitable contributions. Above all, she wanted to feel confident, knowing her money was working for her in the right way.

How We Helped:
We started by truly listening to Janice, understanding her frustrations, and prioritizing her comfort in every financial decision. To meet her goals, we developed a strategy centered around Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), enabling her to make tax-efficient donations directly from her IRA, leveraging her age and the tax benefits that come with it. We also separated her investment strategy into two distinct parts: one for her personal income needs and another for her charitable giving. This approach allowed her to minimize risk while ensuring she maintained a steady and reliable income stream.

On the estate planning front, we worked with Janice to identify the specific charities she wanted to support. We made sure her estate plan clearly designated these organizations to receive the appropriate assets, and we structured it in a way that maximized her charitable impact while minimizing taxes.

The Outcome:
Janice now feels much more at ease with her financial future. She has a clear and conservative investment strategy that supports her day-to-day living expenses, and her charitable giving is optimized for tax efficiency. With the QCDs in place and her estate plan clearly aligned with her wishes, she’s confident that her legacy will continue to make a meaningful impact on the causes she cares about most. She now feels supported, heard, and empowered in her financial decisions.

Case Study #3

John & Helen (52 & 53) – “Finally we can focus on growing our business.”

The Situation:
John and Helen, both in their early 50s, were in the midst of expanding their business. As entrepreneurs, they were driven and focused, but with that came a lot of stress. They felt overwhelmed by the potential tax consequences of their growth and didn’t have the time or mental space to really dig into their personal financial planning. On top of that, they wanted to make sure their family is well prepared and covered in case anything unexpected happened, but just didn’t know where to start.

What They Needed:
Their main priorities were to:

• Grow their business without being blindsided by taxes
• Make sure they have a clear plan for their two grown kids
• Create a clear, effective retirement plan

How We Helped:
We started by really listening to what was important to John and Helen. Once we had a clear understanding of their goals, we put together a plan that focused on giving them clarity and confidence while also setting them up for success in the long term.

1. Tailored Retirement Savings Strategy: We helped them implement a 401(k) plan with a profit-sharing component for their business. Not only did this reduce their tax burden, but it also allowed them to grow their retirement savings faster—while retaining key employees as their business expanded.
2. Tax Planning: We worked together to maximize their contributions to tax-deferred accounts, which helped to ease the burden of taxes while they were in their highest earning years. This was a key part of aligning their business growth with their personal financial goals.
3. Estate Planning: John and Helen wanted to make sure their two grown children would be financially set no matter what. We developed a comprehensive estate plan that covered their family’s needs and ensured their legacy would be protected.
4. Full Financial Plan: Finally, we created a customized financial plan that covered everything from investments to risk management, so they could stop worrying about all the “what-ifs” and focus on their business and family.

The Outcome:
John and Helen are now feeling much more confident about both their business and personal financial future. They’ve got a retirement savings plan that works for them, they’ve minimized their tax exposure, and they now have a clear plan in place to ensure that, should anything happen, their children are well taken care of.

With the heavy lifting of financial planning off their shoulders, they can now focus on what they love—growing their business and spending quality time with their family. They feel confident knowing they’ve set themselves up for a financial future that supports their goals and needs.