Profiles

These client profiles illustrate current and past clients:

  • Pre-retirement planning

  • Death of a spouse

  • Inheritance

  • Business sale

    • Barney and Betty Brown are experts in managing the small business they started many years ago and the business has been successful. The timing is right to sell the business to an interested buyer. They feel too young to fully retire and may get involved in another small business they’ve always dreamed of starting. However, they want to invest a significant portion of the business sale proceeds to create a secure future. They have worked well together as partners in the business, but they have very different feelings about taking risk when investing. Barney wants to keep things safe to avoid losses. Betty believes at least half of the portfolio should be in stocks for long term growth.

      Barney and Betty have some familiarity with investments because their business offers employees a 401k plan. However, they have invested most of their retirement plan balance in a Target Date fund. This offers them “set it and forget it” diversification. They do not have experience managing a large pool of investments outside the plan which will now represent a major part of their financial future. They have talked to registered representatives at two local brokerage firms but received conflicting advice. Both of them believe the amount they have to invest should permit them to pay modest investment costs and expenses.

      There is longevity on both sides of the family. Both have parents who are alive and going strong in the mid 80’s. Barney and Betty worry they may outlive their assets if they also live a long time, particularly with rising health care costs.

      None of their children expressed an interest in continuing the business so they haven’t spent much time thinking about estate planning. However, with new significant liquid assets to invest, they are contemplating arrangements for minor grandchildren, a daughter who has a serious disability, and a son who is in the middle of a divorce.