Business Exit Planning
You built something worth selling. Now make the proceeds last.
For most business owners, the sale is the retirement plan. The proceeds have to replace the salary, the benefits, and the income stream you've depended on for decades. That's a high-stakes transition, and it requires more than just a financial advisor who handles 401(k)s.
At our firm, we've guided business owners in Chicago's Northern Suburbs through exits and liquidity events for nearly 50 years. We know the questions to ask before you sign, and the mistakes to avoid after the wire hits.
Everything that
actually moves the plan.
Built around your life
For most business owners, the sale is the retirement plan. The proceeds have to replace the salary, the benefits, and the income stream you've depended on for decades. That's a high-stakes transition, and it requires more than just a financial advisor who handles 401(k)s.
Our approach
We work with you in four stages: positioning before the deal closes (tax strategy, deal structure, pre-sale gifting), managing the proceeds at closing, building your retirement income plan in the first year, and ongoing portfolio and estate management for the long term.
The details that matter
The most important work happens before you sign. We review the deal structure, asset sale vs. stock sale, and model the full tax impact of each. We evaluate installment sale arrangements, charitable trust strategies, and pre-sale Roth conversion opportunities. Every decision made in the 12 months before closing can be worth hundreds of thousands in tax savings.
Why us
As a firm, we don't earn commissions on the investments or insurance products we recommend. Our advice is driven entirely by what's best for your plan, not what generates the highest fee for us.
A firm built for this.
As a firm, we don't earn commissions on the investments or insurance products we recommend. Our advice is driven entirely by what's best for your plan, not what generates the highest fee for us.
We also coordinate with your transaction attorney and CPA to make sure your financial plan, deal structure, and tax return are all aligned. Business exits involve a lot of advisors, we make sure they're all working toward the same outcome for you.
Honest answers.
When should I start working with a financial advisor before selling my business?
Ideally 12-24 months before closing. The most valuable tax-saving moves, deal structure decisions, pre-sale gifting, Roth conversions, and charitable strategies, require time to execute properly. If you're already in due diligence, we can still help, but earlier is always better.
How much will I owe in taxes when I sell my business?
It depends on the deal structure (asset sale vs. stock sale), how long you've held the business, your cost basis, and how proceeds are allocated. Long-term capital gains rates apply to assets held over a year, but goodwill, inventory, and equipment are taxed differently. We model the full tax impact before you sign anything.
How do I replace my business income in retirement?
We build a retirement paycheck that coordinates your investment withdrawals, Social Security timing, and annuity income to replace what the business used to pay you, efficiently, and in the right order to minimize taxes.
Real plans.
Business Exit Planning in your
community.
Let’s build the plan.
One free conversation. We’ll look at where you are and show you what a real plan looks like.