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Case Studies
Real-Life Stories
Our case studies are real-life success stories that showcase how we navigate various landscapes to establish financial peace of mind for our clients.
For prospective clients who don't know where to start, these case studies serve as helpful examples, offering insights into our clients and their circumstances.
Whether you're an individual, family or an institution, we have real-life stories just like you.
Financial Peace of Mind
High Net-Worth Individuals
High Earners, Not Rich Yet
Institutions
High Net Worth Individuals
Richard and Jane | 20 Years of Loyalty
Richard is a successful executive at a well-known, publicly traded company in the U.S. His wife is a stay-at-home mom. They have two sons who are very active in sports. When we first met them, Richard was just beginning to make significant income, and their sons were just beginning their youth sports endeavors.
Richard and Jane initially came to us because he was getting anxious that he was not managing all of his benefits appropriately. Not only was he paid a salary and annual bonus, but he also received stock options and other stock-based compensation.
We helped them get all their financial resources organized in a manner that helped them make appropriate decisions with them. For example, we helped map out a plan for how to maximize the potential value of his stock options instead of just exercising them as soon as they vested.
Over several years, we continued to update their plan, manage their assets, and make recommendations as Richard kept getting promoted.
And then his career took a turn for the worse. After getting years of superior job performance reports, he began reporting to a new executive who seemed to have decided that Richard needed to be pushed out of the company.
At that time, we created a “what if” plan that walked through the situation Richard and Jane would be in if he was terminated. While Richard worked through the emotional trauma of being rejected by the company to which he had given nearly 20 years of his professional life, we showed him that financially, he was in great shape.
Richard and Jane initially came to us because he was getting anxious that he was not managing all of his benefits appropriately. Not only was he paid a salary and annual bonus, but he also received stock options and other stock-based compensation.
We helped them get all their financial resources organized in a manner that helped them make appropriate decisions with them. For example, we helped map out a plan for how to maximize the potential value of his stock options instead of just exercising them as soon as they vested.
Over several years, we continued to update their plan, manage their assets, and make recommendations as Richard kept getting promoted.
And then his career took a turn for the worse. After getting years of superior job performance reports, he began reporting to a new executive who seemed to have decided that Richard needed to be pushed out of the company.
At that time, we created a “what if” plan that walked through the situation Richard and Jane would be in if he was terminated. While Richard worked through the emotional trauma of being rejected by the company to which he had given nearly 20 years of his professional life, we showed him that financially, he was in great shape.
Emily | Retire Anytime
Emily was a 70-year old, working psychologist when she reached out to us. She was referred by a colleague who had worked with us for a few years. Emily was divorced. She was very nervous about her future. She loved working, and wanted to continue to do so as long as she was able. Yet she was worried about what would happen if she had to stop.
Her assets consisted of a savings account with the proceeds from the divorce settlement, and a retirement account from when she was employed by a local college for many years, along with her home that had no mortgage.
We showed her what level of spending her portfolio would support for the rest of her life if she stopped working immediately, and it was less than her current spending, but doable. Then we showed her how much more spending her portfolio would support for every year she worked and saved additional money. Since she did not want to retire soon, this comforted her greatly knowing that she could retire anytime, but the more she worked, the better it would get. We also made sure she fully understood her options for facing a long-term care situation.
Emily has grown more comfortable with her financial future as we continue to show her how well her plan is working.
Her assets consisted of a savings account with the proceeds from the divorce settlement, and a retirement account from when she was employed by a local college for many years, along with her home that had no mortgage.
We showed her what level of spending her portfolio would support for the rest of her life if she stopped working immediately, and it was less than her current spending, but doable. Then we showed her how much more spending her portfolio would support for every year she worked and saved additional money. Since she did not want to retire soon, this comforted her greatly knowing that she could retire anytime, but the more she worked, the better it would get. We also made sure she fully understood her options for facing a long-term care situation.
Emily has grown more comfortable with her financial future as we continue to show her how well her plan is working.
Jonathan & Diana | It's Not My Money, It's God's Money
Jonathan and Diana were in their 50s when Jonathan first approached us to ask if we could do some financial planning for them. He worked for a large financial institution, and he told me his career was likely winding down in the near future. He and his wife had been very generous throughout their working lives, giving upwards of 50% of their income to charitable causes. And yet, they had amassed an eight-figure net worth despite giving so much away.
When we first began working with Jonathan, we used the phrase, “your money,” and he quickly corrected us. “It’s not my money. It’s God’s money.” He truly believed he and his wife were stewards for God of the wealth they had. We put a financial plan in place to help him fulfill his vision for putting this money to use both to bless him, his wife, and his four children, but also the charitable causes he felt compelled to support.
When Jonathan’s company was purchased in a large transaction, Jonathan received a lot of assets all at once, 50% of which he used to create a charitable foundation. We are now managing that foundation’s large portfolio which makes grants each year, and Jonathan and Diana's significant personal wealth. For them, we don’t show them projections that determine whether they will run out of money. Their goal is to leave a significant amount of wealth to their private foundation at their deaths so that the work they have started can continue.
When we first began working with Jonathan, we used the phrase, “your money,” and he quickly corrected us. “It’s not my money. It’s God’s money.” He truly believed he and his wife were stewards for God of the wealth they had. We put a financial plan in place to help him fulfill his vision for putting this money to use both to bless him, his wife, and his four children, but also the charitable causes he felt compelled to support.
When Jonathan’s company was purchased in a large transaction, Jonathan received a lot of assets all at once, 50% of which he used to create a charitable foundation. We are now managing that foundation’s large portfolio which makes grants each year, and Jonathan and Diana's significant personal wealth. For them, we don’t show them projections that determine whether they will run out of money. Their goal is to leave a significant amount of wealth to their private foundation at their deaths so that the work they have started can continue.
These are real-life case studies — To protect the privacy of our clients, we've changed their names and omitted specific details.