The following case studies are fictional, not based on actual Integra Way Financial Planning clients, and are for illustrative purposes only. They do not represent a promise or guarantee of results.
Case Study of Thomas & Candace | Age 38 & 36 Occupation: Engineer and Software Developer at Tech Firm
Income: $350,000 combined
Goals: Fine-tune their budget, save for kid’s college, save for retirement, establish an estate plan, buy their “forever home”.
Background: Thomas is an engineer at Kimley Horn and Candace is a software developer at SAS. They have 2 kids, ages 8 & 6, make $350,000 combined, and are too busy to take care of all the financial decisions in their life. They live in the first home they bought 6 years ago and are quickly outgrowing it.
Financial Situation: They are only able to save $1,500/month after all their expenses & 401k contributions. They both contribute 7% to their 401ks, both have life insurance through their employer (two times salary) - have about $90k in savings, and want to put some of that to use but don’t know how. Between their jobs, family, and extracurriculars, they don’t have time to research and make all the right financial decisions and want help from an expert who has helped countless families in their position.
Equity Compensation: RSUs & NQSOs Candace receives Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and Non-Qualified Stock Options (NQSOs) as part of her total compensation package. These awards made up a meaningful portion of her long-term wealth, but they weren’t sure how to plan around them or manage the tax impact.
Key Planning Considerations Included: - Reviewing vesting schedules and tax timing to avoid surprises at tax time - Evaluating whether to exercise NQSOs early to start the long-term capital gains clock - Diversifying away from concentrated company stock risk after RSUs vest - Aligning option exercise strategy with cash flow and home purchase goals - Considering AMT exposure in years when exercising large NQSO grants - Using tax projections to avoid underpayment penalties and guide estimated payments
We helped them build a stock compensation strategy that integrated with their broader goals—balancing growth potential with risk, taxes, and liquidity needs.
How We Helped: 1. Life Insurance Analysis: They only have life insurance through work and have a relatively low amount. This means if either or both of them were to lose employment, or find another job, that life insurance would be terminated immediately. We would suggest that they consider term life policies outside of their employer. 2. Cash Flow Planning: Helped them solidify a monthly budget, and how to systematically save into a taxable brokerage account. 3. Education Planning: Thomas and Candace opened up 529 plan for both of their children and have started a savings plan for their college. 4. Estate Planning: Worked with both Thomas and Candace to establish a Will & Trust for their family, to make sure their affairs are taken care of in case something happens to either or both of them. 5. Retirement Planning: Maximize contributions to 401ks and aim to contribute at least 10% a piece to their plan. We will also have a discussion on contributing to Roth 401ks vs. Traditional 401ks. 6. Investment Analysis: We will also suggest opening a taxable brokerage account - to start saving for their next hope - and also invest excess cash flow to enhance flexibility down the road if they need to pull money out of an investment account that isn’t their 401k.
Case Study of Erica | Age 47 Occupation: Owner of a Boutique Marketing Firm Income: Over $350,000 net from business
Goals: Organize personal and business finances, reduce taxes, plan for retirement, and create an estate plan.
Background: Erica is a successful business owner juggling a lot: two teenage kids, a growing team, and a company generating over seven figures annually. While she excels at her work, she admitted her personal finances were “a mess” — no real investment strategy, outdated accounts, minimal retirement savings, and zero estate planning. She felt overwhelmed and needed someone to take the reins. Financial Situation: Erica had over $200,000 in cash sitting idle, a traditional IRA she hadn’t touched in years, and was paying herself irregularly from the business. Her CPA handled the taxes, but no one had given her a proactive financial strategy. She wanted to know: “Am I doing this right?” and “What should I be doing with all this cash?” How We Helped: 1. Retirement Planning: Set up a Solo 401(k) with profit-sharing to allow her to contribute over $66,000 annually, reducing taxable income significantly. 2. Investment Strategy: Consolidated old accounts and created a diversified investment plan, including a new taxable brokerage account to house surplus cash. 3. Tax Strategy: Coordinated with her CPA to ensure owner compensation was optimized and quarterly taxes were dialed in. 4. Cash Flow Planning: Developed a business-to-personal cash flow system so Erica could pay herself consistently and invest systematically. 5. Estate Planning: Worked with an attorney to establish a revocable trust, will, healthcare directive, and guardianship plan for her children. 6. Ongoing Support: Erica now meets with us quarterly to review goals, financials, and any business changes. She finally feels like her financial life reflects the success she’s built in her business.
Case Study of Mike & Laura | Age 62 & 61 Occupation: Mechanical Engineer (recently retired) and Healthcare Administrator (part-time)
Income: Approx. $160,000 (prior to retirement)
Goals: Retire ASAP, maximize Social Security, reduce taxes in retirement, plan for healthcare, and feel confident about long-term financial sustainability.
Background: Mike and Laura are entering a new chapter. With over $1.3 million saved across IRAs and 401(k)s, they wanted to know whether they could retire now and start taking Social Security without jeopardizing their future. They’ve done a great job saving over the years but had no formal plan for drawing income, managing taxes, or timing their benefits. Mike was ready to walk away from full-time work, but they both felt uneasy making the leap without professional advice.
Financial Situation: They had about $1.3 million in retirement accounts, no debt, modest monthly expenses, and $40k in a joint savings account. They had not yet claimed Social Security and weren’t sure if it was better to start early or delay. Their investment accounts were split between a couple of old 401(k)s, IRAs, and a small taxable account. They hadn’t thought much about Roth conversions, Medicare, or how their income would affect ACA subsidies. They also had not done any estate planning.
How We Helped: 1. Social Security Analysis: Modeled multiple claiming strategies to compare claiming now vs. delaying. Recommended Laura delay her benefit to age 67 for increased lifetime income. 2. Income Planning: Created a drawdown strategy from IRAs and taxable accounts to provide a reliable monthly “retirement paycheck” and reduce sequence-of-return risk. 3. Tax Planning: Implemented Roth conversions in low-income years before RMD age to reduce future tax burden and increase flexibility. 4. Healthcare Planning: Created an ACA-aware strategy to bridge the gap until Medicare eligibility. 5. Estate Planning: Coordinated with an estate attorney to draft updated wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. 6. Peace of Mind: With a complete retirement plan in place, Mike retired confidently, and Laura reduced to part-time work by choice, not necessity.
