Employers: Why should you offer employee benefits?
Key Takeaways: We have discussed at length the benefits that many employers may offer up and above salaries: retirement, insurance, pension, health savings plans, etc. These benefits can be very attractive to employees, with some simply seeking employment to obtain these benefits, like health insurance. This commentary changes the perspective. Let’s start to think about […]
Employee Stock Ownership & Options
Key Takeaways: When evaluating a job offer, it is best not to focus only on salary or an hourly wage. We have the pleasure of speaking to MBA students each year and it seems like this is the biggest slip-up in job searches and compensation negotiations; you have to include benefits to get a true […]
Review Your Benefits as You Progress Through Life
Key Takeaways: For many in the workforce, their employers provide them with benefits up and above their salary. Life and disability insurance are very common examples (Note: health insurance is also a very common example but will be addressed in a later article). Many times, these benefits show up as a simple line item on […]
Employee Stock Ownership & Options
Key Takeaways: Company stock plans & stock options have many customizable details Employees should understand their stock plan’s features & tax consequences With correct utilization, employee stock can meaningfully increase compensation When evaluating a job offer, it is best not to focus only on salary or an hourly wage. We have the […]
Evaluating the Benefits of Flex Spending and Health Savings Accounts
Most employees face countless and confounding options each year when they select their benefits. There is no unanimous choice in any benefit area, it really comes down to what the employee needs and will benefit from most, particularly long-term. Flex spending accounts and health savings accounts are very common options these days, particularly as employers […]
Directed Corporate Trustees – An Option for Trust Beneficiaries
As pensions have largely been eliminated within the private sector, generational wealth accumulation continues to be a phenomenon impacting more and more families. Whether it be an accumulation of retirement assets, a business sale, or family generational wealth, a large amount of assets has been passed from one generation to the next. Over the next […]
Families & Individuals
COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES Families & Individuals “…As a long-term client, we would enthusiastically recommend Ballast to any family looking to have a tailored long-term partnership…” This testimonial is from a client of Ballast, Inc. Clients are not compensated for sharing their opinions and experiences with our firm. Any compensation creates a conflict of interest and any […]
Evaluating a Pension Buyout
Key Takeaways: Those entering the workforce today will most likely never feel the security offered by a pension plan like many of their parents and grandparents have. As defined contribution plans, such as 401(k)s, took center stage in the late 1980s, the use of defined benefit plans as employee benefits quickly became a thing of […]
Evaluating a Pension Buyout
Key Takeaways: Calculating the “hurdle rate” of return is an important first step in determining whether staying in the pension or taking a lump sum is the best option for you. Beyond the math, there are other big-picture variables that should be considered before deciding. The pension vs. lump sum decision should be made […]
Tax Savings on Company Stock
If you work for a publicly traded company, chances are you can own company stock inside your 401(k) retirement plan. We’ve seen many workers nearing retirement who have accumulated substantial shares of company stock. These workers are often unaware that they have an option with the tax treatment of these shares that could potentially result […]
Understanding Private Equity: Opportunities and Considerations
Understanding Private Equity: Opportunities and Considerations For many physicians, private equity has become part of everyday conversation, whether through a practice acquisition, a colleague’s group merging into a larger platform, or an investment opportunity presented as a way to diversify beyond stocks and bonds. But what private equity actually offers, and what it demands in […]
Beyond the Luxury Car: Avoiding the Costliest Financial Mistakes in Medicine
Physicians spend years mastering medicine, but many receive little formal education on personal finance. As a result, some of the most common physician financial mistakes occur during major career transitions from becoming an attending physician to preparing for retirement. The good news is that most of these mistakes are predictable and avoidable with thoughtful planning. […]