What retirement plan should I have as a business owner?

Depends on the business. Solo entrepreneur with no employees: Solo 401(k) is usually the answer. Small employee base with high profitability: SEP IRA or full 401(k) with profit-sharing. Very high income with small employee base where you want to shelter substantially more: Cash Balance plan combined with a 401(k). We model the options based on your specific situation.

How much should I be paying myself?

Depends on the entity structure (S-corp, C-corp, LLC), the IRS reasonable compensation standard, the employee benefits picture, and the cash flow rhythm of the business. Most owners we work with under-pay themselves on salary and over-distribute, which can create reasonable-comp exposure with the IRS. We work with your CPA on the right balance.

When should I start exit planning?

Ideally 3 to 5 years before the actual transition. The pre-transition tax positioning, the entity-level decisions, the charitable structures, and the family governance work all benefit from runway. Many owners come to us 12 to 18 months out, which is still workable but tighter.

What's a Cash Balance plan?

A Cash Balance plan is a defined benefit retirement plan that can dramatically increase the tax-advantaged savings room for high-income business owners with small employee bases. Annual contributions can be hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on age and income. Setup requires an actuary; we coordinate.

Should I keep retained earnings in the business or distribute them?

Depends on the entity structure, the personal cash flow needs, and the planned exit timing. For S-corps, retained earnings still get taxed at the personal level. For C-corps, retained earnings sit at the corporate rate. We work through the math with your CPA. →

5/5

Financial Planning For Business Owners. From Founding Through Exit.

Financial planning for business owners from founding through eventual transition or sale. Owner compensation, retirement plan design, succession or exit work, plus the personal side of running a company.

Schedule A Consultation Call (561) 210-7339

Fiduciary CFP®
Owner-First Planning
Succession Coordination
Pre-Sale Tax Strategy

HOW WE WORK WITH BUSINESS OWNERS

Your personal financial life is tied to the business. Plan it that way.

Personal cash flow vs. business cash flow

Most owners run both books. We separate the two cleanly. Owner compensation strategy, distributions, retained earnings, and the personal household income.

Retirement plan for the owner

SEP IRA, Solo 401(k), Cash Balance plan. The right vehicle depends on profitability, employee count, and how much you want to shelter. Often the biggest tax-advantaged savings opportunity an owner has.

Succession or exit, planned early

The eventual transition is most owners' largest financial event. We start the conversation years before it happens.

Coordinated with the team you have

We work with your business attorney, your CPA, and where applicable, your investment banker. We don't duplicate their work. We coordinate it.

Long-term, not transactional

We meet on a real cadence, usually quarterly. The plan flexes as your life and the tax code change. Most relationships span decades.

South Florida-rooted, nationally licensed

Offices in Boca Raton and Plantation, plus licensed in all 50 states. Existing clients keep us when they move.

What we cover.

Owner compensation strategy. Salary vs. distributions, S-corp vs. C-corp considerations, reasonable comp documentation, payroll tax optimization.

Retirement plan setup. SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Solo 401(k), or full 401(k) with profit-sharing. For owners with very high income and small employee bases, a Cash Balance plan can dramatically increase the tax-advantaged savings room.

Health insurance and benefits. What you do for yourself, what you can write off, and how the benefits stack against the personal household budget.

Personal financial plan. Cash flow, savings rate, retirement projections that assume the business is one part of the wealth picture rather than the whole thing.

Succession or exit planning. Family transition, internal sale, or third-party sale. Each has different planning needs. See succession or see exit.

Estate planning. Business interests need careful estate treatment. Family limited partnerships, charitable structures, and gifting strategies all come into play.

WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE

Common situations we work through.

Composite scenarios drawn from real client work, anonymized.

1) The first 90 days

Cash flow stabilized, beneficiaries audited, a draft plan in hand. Most clients feel oriented by month three.

2) The first year

Tax positioning implemented, investment policy in place, the first quarterly reviews done. Decisions start compounding.

3) Three years in

The plan has flexed to handle real-life shifts (a new job, a sale, a loss). The pattern is steady decisions, not reactive ones.

The arc.

Most business owner planning relationships move through phases. Early phase: getting the personal financial life organized while the business is the focus. Mid phase: retirement plan optimization, real estate decisions, kids' education, broader wealth building. Late phase: succession or exit planning. We're useful at each stage, but the work looks different.

For owners thinking about an eventual sale, see Business Succession Planning (for family or internal transitions) and Business Exit Planning (for third-party sales). The earlier we start, the more the planning matters.

RELATED SERVICES

What business owner planning typically covers.

Common entry points and adjacencies:

Business Succession Planning

For family, internal, or ESOP transitions. The personal financial plan that lives on the other side.

See business succession planning →

Business Exit Planning

For third-party sales. Pre-sale tax positioning and post-sale wealth strategy.

See business exit planning →

Retirement Planning

SEP, Solo 401(k), Cash Balance plans. Often the most tax-efficient savings vehicle for an owner.

See retirement planning →

Who this is for

Related specialty pages.

Many business owners also fit one of these:

What we don't do.

Contact Us Today

We don't lead with proprietary products, structured notes, or non-traded REITs as a portfolio building block. We don't take custody of your assets. We don't promise market-beating returns. The honest answer is that nobody who has to tell the truth to a regulator can.

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Schedule Your Free Consultation

No obligation. We respond the same business day.

QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

Common questions about Financial Planning for Business Owners

Depends on the business. Solo entrepreneur with no employees: Solo 401(k) is usually the answer. Small employee base with high profitability: SEP IRA or full 401(k) with profit-sharing. Very high income with small employee base where you want to shelter substantially more: Cash Balance plan combined with a 401(k). We model the options based on your specific situation.
Depends on the entity structure (S-corp, C-corp, LLC), the IRS reasonable compensation standard, the employee benefits picture, and the cash flow rhythm of the business. Most owners we work with under-pay themselves on salary and over-distribute, which can create reasonable-comp exposure with the IRS. We work with your CPA on the right balance.
Ideally 3 to 5 years before the actual transition. The pre-transition tax positioning, the entity-level decisions, the charitable structures, and the family governance work all benefit from runway. Many owners come to us 12 to 18 months out, which is still workable but tighter.
A Cash Balance plan is a defined benefit retirement plan that can dramatically increase the tax-advantaged savings room for high-income business owners with small employee bases. Annual contributions can be hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on age and income. Setup requires an actuary; we coordinate.
Depends on the entity structure, the personal cash flow needs, and the planned exit timing. For S-corps, retained earnings still get taxed at the personal level. For C-corps, retained earnings sit at the corporate rate. We work through the math with your CPA. →

Find Us

Two offices, one team.

Boca Raton (Home Office)

1200 North Federal Highway, Suite 300

Boca Raton, FL 33432

(561) 210-7339

Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM ET

Plantation

7901 SW 6th Court, Suite 320

Plantation, FL 33324

(954) 809-3553

Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM ET

Serving

South Florida cities and neighborhoods

Palm Beach County

Broward County

Ready to talk about financial planning for business owners?

The first meeting is a conversation, not a sales pitch. We'll talk about where you are, what you're working through, and whether Intercoastal is the right fit. In person in Boca Raton or Plantation, or by video from anywhere.

Schedule A Consultation