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Case Studies
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Dario Kerkez, CFP® CEPA®
Employees & Professionals
You're building wealth through your employer plan — here's how to make sure it's working as hard as you are.
$23,500
2025 401(k) limit
$31,000
Age 50+ catch-up
Only 33%
have a written plan
Engineer, Age 42 · $120K income · 15 yrs in plan
The Hidden Fee Problem: How $4,800/Year Was Quietly Leaving His 401(k) Most Common
A routine audit found 1.1% in annual fund fees on a $440K balance vs. index alternatives at 0.04%. Over 20 years that gap compounds to over $180,000 in lost growth.
$4,600/yr saved · $180K+ in projected growth recovered
Marketing Manager, Age 35 · $85K income · Contributing 4%
Leaving Free Money on the Table: The Employer Match She Wasn't Capturing
Sarah's employer matched 100% up to 6% — but she contributed only 4%. Raising her rate by 2% cost $28/paycheck but captured $1,700/year in free match and reduced her taxable income.
✅ +$1,700/yr employer match · $8,500 free money over 5 yrs
IT Director, Age 48 · 3 prior employers · $285K orphaned
Three Forgotten 401(k)s: Consolidation That Simplified His Plan and Saved $3,200/Year
James had accounts at three former employers — different funds, different fees, no coordination. Consolidating into a single IRA improved options, cut fees, and unified his strategy.
✅ $285K consolidated · $3,200/yr in fees recovered
📊 See where you stand — Free Retirement Readiness Assessment
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Pre-Retirees (Within 5 Years)
The final 5 years are your highest-leverage window. Every decision now compounds in both directions.
5 years
to maximize savings
$31,000
catch-up limit age 50+
65→73
Roth conversion window
Chicago Teacher, Age 60 · $80K income · Retiring at 65
Michael Thompson: Teacher Who Almost Missed $224K in Catch-Up Savings Featured
Contributing 10% when $31,000/year was available. No Roth IRA, no estate docs, WEP impact unconfirmed. A full plan identified $224K in additional retirement value over 5 years.
✅ $224K additional value identified · Roth IRA opened
Corporate VP, Age 62 · $750K in 401(k) · Retiring at 65
The $85,000 Tax Savings She Found in the Roth Conversion Window
Converting $40K/year at ages 65–73 inside the 22% bracket reduced her lifetime RMD tax burden by an estimated $85,000 while leaving more to her heirs.
✅ 8-yr conversion strategy mapped · Est. $85K lifetime tax savings
Operations Director, Age 62 · Retiring at 63 · 2-yr Medicare gap
Retiring at 63: Solving the $28,000 Healthcare Gap Before Medicare
COBRA came in at $1,400/month. An ACA marketplace analysis and income-structured withdrawals found a silver plan at $480/month — saving $920/month and making early retirement achievable.
✅ $920/mo saved on healthcare · ACA subsidy maximized · Retired at 63
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Retirees
Retirement shifts the challenge from saving to sustaining. Smart distribution planning can add six figures in after-tax lifetime value.
Age 73
RMDs begin
30+ yrs
portfolio must sustain
3% inflation
doubles costs in 24 yrs
Retired Engineer, Age 70 · $1.1M IRA · RMDs start at 73
The RMD Tax Bomb: $140,000 Defused with Three Years of Conversions High Impact
Converting $45K/year for three years before RMDs began reduced George's lifetime RMD tax exposure by $140,000 and left substantially more tax-free wealth to his beneficiaries.
✅ $140K in projected tax savings · RMD burden reduced by 28%
Retired couple, Ages 67 & 65 · $850K portfolio · $60K/yr draw
Drawing the Wrong Account First: The $62,000 Sequencing Mistake They Didn't Know They Were Making
They were withdrawing Roth IRA first — the opposite of optimal. Reversing to taxable→IRA→Roth extended tax-free Roth growth by 11 years and added $62,000 in after-tax lifetime wealth.
✅ +$62K lifetime after-tax value · Roth preserved 11 yrs longer
Widow, Age 72 · $680K portfolio · No LTC plan
One Care Event Away: How a Hybrid LTC Policy Protected $300,000 of Her Portfolio
After her husband's $290K nursing home spend-down, Barbara secured a hybrid life/LTC policy with a $65K single premium providing $280K+ of LTC coverage — no ongoing premium risk.
✅ $280K LTC coverage secured · Portfolio protected
📊 See where you stand — Free Retirement Readiness Assessment
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Business Owners
Your business may be your largest asset — and most owners exit without maximizing its value.
$69,000
Solo 401(k) limit 2024
78%
of exits miss goals
CEPA®
certified exit advisor
Self-employed consultant, Age 45 · $220K net income · No plan
Overpaying the IRS by $34,000 a Year: The Solo 401(k) He Didn't Know He Qualified For Popular
No retirement plan meant full SE tax on $220K. A Solo 401(k) allowed $69K/year in contributions as both employee and employer — reducing his federal + SE tax bill by $34,000 annually.
✅ $34,000/yr tax reduction · $69K tax-deferred · Plan established
Manufacturing owner, Age 58 · $3.2M business · No exit plan
Selling Without a Plan: The $800,000 Tax Bill That Could Have Been Avoided
When an unsolicited offer arrived, Frank had no exit plan or tax structure. A CEPA® analysis identified strategies that could have reduced tax exposure by $800K — had they been in place 18 months earlier.
✅ Exit plan structured · Tax-efficient roadmap built · Valuation completed
Law firm, 3 partners · $4.8M revenue · No buy-sell agreement
Three Partners, No Buy-Sell: The Dispute That Nearly Destroyed a 22-Year Practice
One partner's disability triggered a 14-month legal dispute costing $340K in fees and lost revenue. A funded buy-sell agreement would have executed a clean buyout within 60 days.
✅ Buy-sell funded · Valuation agreed · Partners protected
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Plan Administrators
As a plan fiduciary, you carry personal liability for plan decisions. Here's how leading plan sponsors protect themselves.
ERISA
fiduciary liability
Section 404
prudent expert standard
Annual
review required
CFO as plan trustee · 200-person company · $8.2M plan assets
The CFO Who Didn't Know She Was Personally Liable for $8.2M in Plan Assets High Risk
Jennifer had never conducted a formal fee benchmarking or investment review as plan trustee. An audit found $47K/year in excess fees and a fiduciary governance calendar was established.
✅ $47K/yr in fee savings · Fiduciary calendar established
HR Director · 350 employees · 47% participation rate
From 47% to 81% Participation: One Education Campaign, Transformed Outcomes
Only 47% of employees participated and few captured the full match. A structured education program raised participation to 81% in 12 months and average contribution rates from 4.1% to 6.8%.
✅ Participation 47%→81% · Avg contribution 4.1%→6.8%
VP of HR · 500-employee firm · No auto-enrollment
Adding Auto-Enrollment: The Plan Design Change That Added $1.2M in Employee Savings
No auto-enrollment, no auto-escalation, and a vesting schedule losing top talent. Auto-enrollment at 6% with 1% annual escalation increased total plan contributions by $1.2M in year one.
✅ +$1.2M/yr in contributions · Retention improved · Auto-escalation live
📊 See where you stand — Free Retirement Readiness Assessment
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Employees with Company Stock & Equity
RSUs, stock options, ESPP, and NUA strategies represent some of the most complex — and most valuable — planning opportunities.
NUA
most overlooked strategy
LTCG vs OI
the tax rate difference
Blackout periods
know the rules
Retiring utility employee, Age 63 · $480K company stock · Low cost basis
The NUA Strategy That Saved $94,000 in Taxes on Company Stock at Retirement Featured
Rolling to an IRA would have meant ordinary income tax at 37% on all future distributions. An NUA distribution triggered ordinary tax only on the $42K cost basis — the $438K gain taxed at long-term capital gains rates.
✅ $94,000 in tax savings · LTCG rate applied · Strategy executed
Tech manager, Age 44 · $320K in RSUs vesting over 4 years
RSU Vesting Without a Tax Plan: The $58,000 Bill She Wasn't Ready For
Amanda's RSUs vested in a large tranche — adding $95K to ordinary income in one year. Without withholding adjustment or quarterly estimates, she owed $58K more than expected at tax time.
✅ Vesting calendar established · Withholding adjusted · No more surprises
Senior VP, Age 55 · 68% of net worth in one stock
68% in One Stock: The Systematic Plan That Diversified $1.1M Over 36 Months
Greg's wealth was dangerously concentrated in employer stock. A 10b5-1 plan, tax-loss harvesting, and charitable giving of appreciated shares reduced concentration from 68% to 22% — while minimizing capital gains.
✅ Concentration 68%→22% · $1.1M redeployed · Tax-efficient
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