Business Owners

Many small business owners want to offer their employees a retirement plan but aren’t sure where to start. Because the business owner is responsible for choosing the company retirement plan’s advisors, selecting an advisor for the plan is a critical decision to be made. Specializing in retirement planning strategies, Our goal at APS is to help determine plans that will benefit the business owner. We can assist clients with determining appropriate 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plans, as well as profit sharing plans; cash balance plans; Roth, SIMPLE, and SEP IRAs; pension plans; and ESOPs (Employee Stock Option Plans).

A goal of many business owners is to someday transfer their business interest to either family members or key employees. Properly done, this type of planning can offer to both the current and successor owner a worry free, tax efficient method of business succession.
Furthermore, the loss of a business owner through death or disability can catch even the most efficiently managed small companies off guard and, worse, unprepared to deal with the repercussions. Family businesses, in particular, are susceptible to erosion of capital due to estate taxes and legal fees; not to mention the possible hurdles of voting control being scattered among heirs, with conflicting points of view impeding the business' operation and growth.

A commonly used success planning tool is a Buy-Sell Agreement, which is a written agreement made between the partner or shareholders of the business specifying buy out provisions. The execution of this type of agreement secures a number of very tangible benefits for the shareholders, including:

• Continuity of management and control for the remaining owners.
  
• A ready market for typically non-marketable business interests.
  
• Liquidity to the decedent's estate for estate taxes and administration costs.
  
• A fair valuation of the business interest for federal estate tax purposes.
  
• A fair return to the decedent's estate for his/her business interests.

APS can provide a professional evaluation of a client’s current situation that will help avoid future problems involved in business succession planning.

Implementing a risk management program is fundamental to a company's ability to protect itself against the loss of key personnel through death or disabling injury or sickness. The APS team offers expertise on selecting life and disability insurance coverage for such a program. We conduct a financial security analysis to determine the appropriate protection for companies and their key executives, which encompasses evaluating risk management needs and balancing them with living or wealth accumulation objectives.

We design risk management programs to be affordable, fill corporate and individual needs, and offer enough flexibility to allow for a change as needed. Our analysis also involves a review of any existing coverage to ensure it is cost effective and includes up-to-date features. Through risk management analysis, we can deliver solutions in the form of policies valued and designed according to their clients' needs.