Client Case Studies

Click the below tabs to read about how financial planning can make an impact in your life:

Adam & Terri - SERS/PSERS Retirees

Overview: Adam & Terri are in their mid-50's, have various 401k and IRA accounts, a few rental properties, and are closing in on retirement.

Adam has an SERS pension and Terri has a PSERS pension benefit that they have questions about. Their biggest concern is if they will have enough saved to retire in addition to the pension benefits.

They also need advice on when to take Social Security, how much they will need from their investments to maintain their lifestyle, when to take their pensions and what options to pick, when/if to sell their properties, and how to manage health insurance costs until they are eligible for Medicare.

How Vision Wealth Can Help:

Ran a Social Security analysis to determine the appropriate time to begin benefits.
Adjusted their savings rate and investment contributions to ensure they will be able stop working at their target retirement age.
Analyzed all income sources (SS, pension, rental income) to see how their income will stand up with inflation, as well as future tax implications.
Changed the allocation of their various investment accounts to complement each other and reflect a more conservative approach heading into retirement.
Walked them through the SERS & PSERS retirement process to help them pick the appropriate options.
Facilitated joint meetings with their CPA on tax outlook, and referred them to an estate planning attorney to set up a trust for assets they wish to protect.
Looked at affordable health insurance options to bridge the gap between Medicare eligibility (age 65).

* These are situations based on real life examples. Names have been changed to protect privacy. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations to any individual. To determine which investments or strategies may be appropriate for you, consult us or your financial advisor prior to investing.

Tom & Elle - Geisinger/UPMC

Overview: Tom and Elle are in their mid 40's and need help fine tuning an investment plan, saving for college for their son, reducing their tax burden, and ensuring they are saving enough for retirement.

Tom earns a high salary as a physician at Geisinger and Elle works as an RN at UPMC. They enjoy their careers but are also very busy, so finding someone to delegate to and help them get organized is a top priority.

How Vision Wealth Can Help:

Helped them gain clarity around their savings goals, with the priority of building a new house in four years.
Increased their investment contributions with a goal of maxing out their 401k's every year.
Optimized their current 401K contributions between Pre-Tax and Roth to make sure they are taking advantage of tax benefits and company matching.
Adjusted 401K investment options from the default settings to a more customized, growth-oriented approach.
Opened 529 college savings plans for their two children with a goal of contributing monthly.
Opened a high-yield money market account for their emergency fund savings instead of using the low interest earning account at the local bank.
Reviewed their tax returns to find additional planning opportunities and lower their tax burden.
Increased term life insurance coverage to ensure Tom's income would be fully replaced should something happen to him.

Warren & Grace - Central PA Business Owners

Overview: Warren and Grace are in their 50's and have operated a local service business for the last eight years. They have seen exponential growth but now feel a bit overwhelmed with the financial side.

Their biggest concerns are risk management, saving enough for retirement, tax efficiency, and possible business sale down the road. They use a CPA to file their tax returns, but don't feel like they have a solid understanding of how taxes affect their business and how to reduce them.

They also want to make sure they are taking advantage of retirement plan strategies as business owners and need some advice on choosing the correct one.

How Vision Wealth Can Help:

Set up a Solo 401k plan to maximize retirement contributions and lower taxable income.
Ran an analysis to see what opportunities were available to further reduce their tax burden. Discovered they were eligible to take advantage of Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions to further reduce taxes.
Looked at multiple sale scenarios with focus on minimizing capital gains tax.
Constructed part of their investment portfolio to focus on providing monthly income should they opt for early retirement.
Helped them obtain disability insurance coverage to protect their income in case of an emergency.