11 Dec Navigating Major Life Transitions with Financial Planning

Introduction
Major transitions—selling a business, divorce, changing jobs, retiring, or inheritance—can feel like shifting tectonic plates in your financial world. With so many moving parts—taxes, timing, allocation, estate implications—a strategic plan is essential.

Why Transitions Demand a Plan First

• Planning ahead of time allows you to maximize opportunities to minimize taxes and preserve value.
• Errors in sequencing, taxation, or withdrawal strategy can erode value faster than market swings.
• Without a plan, you risk making reactive decisions when emotions are high.
• A plan helps you coordinate all advisors (tax, legal, business) around one clear vision.

Planning Applications for Key Transitions

• Business owners / liquidity events: Model tax-efficient strategies, reinvestment allocation, and cash needs, while stress-testing what happens if the sale price is lower or higher than expected.  Implement tax savings strategies in advance.
• Divorce: Use planning to compare settlement options, simulate how each will affect cash flow, retirement capacity, and long-term security.
• Retirement: Sequence withdrawals, model Roth conversions, optimize Social Security timing, and calibrate for longevity risk.
• Inheritance / generational wealth: Understand the cash flow implications behind lifetime gifting to individuals and trusts, consider the estate and income tax implications of different assets to heirs, plan a wealth distribution strategy that reflects your values, and educate heirs—while protecting legacy and tax efficiency.

Our Financial Planning Process as a Bridge During Change

• Tax and Cash Flow Modeling allows us to explore different “what-if” scenarios to compare the benefits and consequences of alternative paths.
• Equity Compensation / Stock Plan modules allow us to simulate different liquidation or holding strategies for RSUs and options.
• Estate planning / trust modeling allows us to see how changes in wealth transfer structure flow into the larger financial plan.

Bringing it All Together
During a transition, inertia or hesitation can be costly. The right plan enacted early can preserve value, reduce regret, and give you agency over your future. Reach out now—let’s build clarity for your next chapter.