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Optimize Your Finances
in 90 Days

A focused 90-day engagement to review your finances and put the most important changes into action. You'll leave with a written plan you can follow, your top priorities in motion, and a clear checklist for what comes next.

Who’s this for?

  • Business owners with wealth tied up in the business and questions about cash flow, taxes, or an eventual exit.
  • Households with complex finances who want to clarify how things are structured, make sense of their taxes, and check that everything is set up and working as it should.
  • People facing a major transition like a business sale, IPO, liquidity event, inheritance, or retirement who need a plan for what comes next.

You don’t have to make 7-figure decisions alone.

Are you making the most of what you’ve built? Can you afford to step back? What should happen before you sell the business?

It helps to have someone take a fresh look, question the assumptions, and check how one decision affects everything else. You get a second opinion, clear priorities, and help putting decisions into action.

First, let’s get organized.

Your financial home base

Your setup & team
You & your householdYour businessChecking · payrollBusiness recordsPersonal accountsBrokerage · 401(k)Trust · insuranceYour professional teamBenPlanningCPATaxesAttorneyLegal
Objectives
Know your numberWhat the sale needs to fund
Plan before signingTax & estate decisions first
Keep enough in reserveTaxes, spending & surprises
Protect your familyOwnership, trusts & beneficiaries
Give the rest a purposeInvest for life after the business
Priority actions
Get organized
Gather business & tax records
Confirm ownership & cost basis
Plan for the sale
Model after-tax sale proceeds
Agree on tax & cash reserves
Follow through
Coordinate pre-sale planning
Record the agreed next steps
Documents & records
Estate Planning3 example documents
Insurance Inventory3 example documents
Taxes & Statements3 example documents
Allocation ReviewsBen Stauffer · Google Sheets
Personal Financial StatementBen Stauffer · Google Sheets
Investment Policy StatementBen Stauffer · Google Docs
Projections & stress tests
NowSaleYear 5Year 10
Base caseHigher taxesLower proceeds
5
Business sale closesNovember · Illustrative
12
Step back from the businessNovember · Illustrative
19
Family trip beginsNovember · Illustrative
Business Sale
Pre-sale planning
2Review
1Discuss
2Implement
1Done

Understand Your Situation

Your financial picture

Net worth$6.65M
What you own
Household brokerage$3,420,000
Primary residence$2,100,000
Business equity$1,500,000
Solo 401(k)$860,000
529 plans$150,000
Total assets$8,030,000
Less liabilities$1,380,000
Net worth$6,650,000

Your plan over time

Starting investments$4.28M
Annual retirement spending$180K
Question to exploreStep back sooner?
Compare retirement timing & returns
$0M$2M$4M$6M$8MRetire at 60Age 55Age 60Age 65Age 70Age 75Age 80Age 85
Retire at 60 · 5% returnRetire at 58 · 5% returnRetire at 60 · 3% return

Know Your Options

Your investment strategy

Put each investment in the right account.
RothTax-free growth
Higher-growth assetsGive long-term growth room to compound.
401(k) & IRATax-deferred growth
Income-producing assetsConsider where taxable income belongs.
BrokerageTaxable investments
Tax-efficient assetsKeep taxes in view alongside flexibility.

Your tax brackets

Next dollar earned
49.3%combined tax rate
Federal37%
California12.3%
You keep50.7%
Next long-term gain
36.1%combined tax rate
Capital gains20%
California12.3%
NIIT3.8%
You keep63.9%
Potential opportunities
Retirement fundingModel 401(k) + cash balance contributions.
California PTETCompare the election’s costs and benefits.
Tax-loss harvesting strategiesReview unrealized losses and potential offsets.

Your surplus savings

Monthly money inSet aside taxesCover your lifeAllocate your surplusTax reserves: $20.1K per monthBusiness available to household: $63.2K per monthW-2 take-home: $16.8K per monthHousehold spending: $30.0K per monthMonthly surplus: $50.0K per monthSolo 401(k): $6.0K per monthHSA: $0.7K per month529 · Child A: $1.0K per month529 · Child B: $1.0K per monthVacation home fund: $4.0K per monthTaxable brokerage: $37.3K per monthBusiness profit$83.3KW-2 take-home: $16.8KTax reserves: $20.1KHousehold income: $80.0KSpending: $30.0KSurplus: $50.0KSolo 401(k)$6.0KHSA$0.7K529 · Child A$1.0K529 · Child B$1.0KVacation home fund$4.0KTaxable brokerage$37.3K

Your next 5 years

Know what to fund. Then follow through.
Cash flow & allocations20262027202820292030
Gross income$1.20M$1.25M$1.30M$1.35M$1.41M
Tax reserves($242K)($251K)($261K)($272K)($283K)
After-tax income$960K$998K$1.04M$1.08M$1.12M
Household spending($360K)($371K)($382K)($393K)($405K)
Annual surplus$600K$628K$656K$686K$718K
Retirement, HSA & 529s$105K$105K$105K$105K$105K
Vacation home fund$48K$48K$0K$0K$0K
Taxable brokerage$447K$475K$552K$582K$613K
Total amount allocated$600K$628K$656K$686K$718K
Cumulative amount allocated$600K$1.23M$1.88M$2.57M$3.29M

Then, give each next step a clear home.

Your estate overview

A clear handoff for the people you trust.
Family handoff
01What I own
02Who to call
03Where to find it
Core documentsTrust, will, financial power of attorney & healthcare directive
On file
Assets & ownershipAccounts, property, titles & beneficiary designations
Reviewed
InsuranceLife, disability, home, auto & umbrella policies
Inventoried
Business continuityOwnership, successor & buy-sell funding
Confirm funding
Your peopleTrustees, executor, agents, guardians & professional contacts
Reviewed
Access & instructionsDocument locations, digital accounts & secure access process
Confirm access

Your next steps

Turn decisions into things done.
PillarActionWhoTargetPriority
TaxesConfirm sale proceeds, basis & tax estimatesCPAOct 30, 2026High
EstateReview trust planning before the saleAttorneyNov 6, 2026High
Cash flowSet aside taxes & 12 months of spendingYouNov 20, 2026High
InvestmentsWrite the investment policy for the proceedsPlannerDec 4, 2026Medium
InsuranceReview umbrella & liability coverageBrokerDec 11, 2026Medium
Your setupUpdate account titles & beneficiary recordsYouDec 18, 2026Low

Know where you stand. And what’s next.

You’ll have a clearer picture of your finances and a written plan for what to do next. We’ll work through the priorities we agree on during the 90 days, then lay out any remaining steps.

What’s included?

A review of seven areas of your finances, a written action plan, and 90 days of hands-on support. The deeper work follows your priorities and our agreed scope.

  • Business & taxes. Make your business and personal planning work together.
  • Investments. Know what you own, what it costs, and how it fits.
  • Estate planning. Check that your documents and accounts line up.
  • Insurance. Find coverage gaps and decide what to change.
  • Cash flow. Decide how much cash to keep and what to do with the rest.
  • Big decisions. Put a major financial decision into perspective.
  • Your accounts & team. Get the pieces and the people working together.

How does the 90 days work?

We start by agreeing on scope, gathering your documents, and choosing the decisions to address. I review the pieces, we discuss the findings, and we decide what to change.

Implementation begins during the review. I help with the agreed work throughout the sprint, with calls, email, and coordination along the way.

When the 90 days are up, you have a written plan and a clear list of any remaining steps. Ongoing planning is optional.

You’ll work directly with me.

Hi, I’m Ben. I’m a CFP® and I help people figure out what to do with their money so they can make the most of the life they’re building.

That’s meant helping:

  • A $40M+ revenue owner figure out how much is enough.
  • A tech professional prepare for an IPO and plan for the cash that follows.
  • A small business owner get through a major life transition.
  • A $1B family put an investment plan to work after a major sale.
  • A business owner with $5M in one stock test how the plan holds up if it drops.
  • Business owners earning $500K to $2M figure out their cash flow.
  • A new business owner put the foundations in place.
  • Families worth $50M+ put trusts and wealth-transfer plans in place.

And 100+ others I’ve supported with decisions about their money. Big ones, small ones, and the ones they’d been putting off.

All of this, without the bloat.

One fixed fee. No AUM fees. No commissions. No product pitches. No requirement to move your assets. No ongoing advisory commitment. No layers of account managers. No venture capital or private equity backing. Just independent advice and help getting things done.

One fixed fee.

Introductory pricing for the October cohort. Half is due up front and half at the end. We’ll agree on your scope and fee before you commit.

CoreFor individuals and households with annual income and net worth below $1M.$3,000Regular fee: $6,000
ComplexFor business owners, $1M+ earners, and households managing significant wealth or a major financial transition.$6,000Regular fee: $12,000
UHNWFor families with substantial estates and advanced wealth-transfer needs.Priced individually

Unsure where you fit? Tell me about your situation. I’ll confirm the scope and fee.

A few questions you might have.

What happens after I apply?

I’ll reach out to arrange an introductory call. We’ll discuss your situation and whether the sprint fits. You’ll agree on scope and the fixed fee before you commit.

Will you work with my other professionals?

I help coordinate agreed changes with the professionals involved. Outside services are billed separately. I don’t receive compensation for recommending professionals.

What happens after 90 days?

You’ll have a clear list of remaining next steps. The current offer includes email support for the next year and the option for discounted ongoing planning over the remainder of the year. We’ll clarify the dates and scope before you commit.

Have another question?

Email me. I’m happy to talk it through.

Let’s start with your situation.

Tell me a little about yourself and what you’d like to work on. I’ll reach out to arrange an introductory call.