• Evaluating sustainable annual spending in retirement

• Assessing how net worth may evolve based on resources and projected cash flow

• Understanding legacy objectives and facilitating estate and charitable planning

• Designing investment, withdrawal and gifting strategies to optimize potential after-tax returns

• Maximizing Social Security benefits

• Planning for education expenses

• Collecting and storing pertinent legal, health and financial documents

• Providing timely communication regarding the economy and capital markets

• Offering family members education on savings, investing and retirement

Wealth Planning

Retirement

Retirement planning at Ferguson Wellman is a dynamic and evolving process. Our goal is to help clients enjoy the journey and make the most out of every life stage. We help clients evaluate the resources needed for their comfortable retirement based on a range of variables that include: current resources, savings rates, asset allocation and desired spending.

• Preparing for retirement

• Cash flow and spending analysis

• Wealth projections

• Withdrawal strategies

• Employer retirement plans

• Individual retirement accounts (IRAs)

• Social Security strategies

• Referrals to Medicare resources

• Living a fulfilling retirement

Life Events

Ferguson Wellman helps our clients plan and thrive through life transitions, including:

• Retirement

• Marriage

• Divorce

• Death of a loved one

• Inheritance

• Business succession

• Children and grandchildren

  • Kiddie tax

  • Coming of age

Trusts and Estates

Estate planning involves significant decisions, such as:

• How funds will be spent during incapacity

• Who will inherit the wealth

• Will the inheritance be subject to any protections or restrictions

• Who controls the decisions

• What legacy is desired

• What strategies will be used to manage estate taxes and income taxes

The complexity continues with issues surrounding account titling, beneficiary designations and various state and federal laws. Ferguson Wellman helps guide our clients through the process by providing education, referrals to estate planning professionals and tools for preparing for planning meetings.

• Commonly used estate planning documents and terms

• Purpose of an estate plan

• Revocable living trusts

• Irrevocable trusts

• Beneficiary designations

• Trustee and fiduciary selection

  • Trustee

  • Investment advisor

• Referrals to estate planning professionals

• Guidance in preparing for estate planning meetings

• Collaboration with and resources for estate planning professionals

• Assistance with account titling and beneficiary designations

Taxes

Structuring and managing portfolios to seek maximum after-tax return

• Income tax efficiency

  • Asset location

  • Withdrawal strategies

  • Tax-efficient strategy

  • Tax-loss harvesting

  • Tax-exempt bonds

  • Kiddie tax

  • Capital gain strategy

• Estate and gift tax considerations and mitigation

• Charitable strategies

• Retirement income strategies

Ferguson Wellman helps our clients establish and clarify their philanthropic goals and provides education on basic charitable structures. We collaborate with CPAs and attorneys to evaluate and recommend the structure and source of charitable contributions for maximum tax savings and impact. Frequently, we help clients establish donor advised funds, process qualified charitable distributions from IRAs and identify highly appreciated securities for charitable donations.

• Philanthropic goals and budget

• Tax-wise philanthropy

  • Qualified charity distributions from IRAs

  • Donor advised funds

  • Appreciated securities

  • Charitable trusts

  • Cash

risk management

Education planning and funding

• Model projected educational expenses

• Direct gifts to educational institutions

• 529 plans

• Educational trusts

• UTMAs