Financial Planning for Executives & Business Owners

Executives and business owners face financial decisions that carry higher stakes and greater complexity. We're here to help you navigate them with confidence.

Wealth Creates Complexity. Planning Creates Clarity.

When your professional success reaches a certain scale, every decision carries extra weight. Managing competing priorities (from your corporate equity and business growth to a web of separate advisors) can quickly turn accomplishment into ongoing friction.

We serve as a dedicated strategic partner for executives and business owners, with deep experience supporting those who are:

High Earners with Complex Equity: Navigating stock options, RSUs, concentrated positions, or business equity while facing top-bracket, AMT, NIIT, or multi-state tax exposure.
Executives & Business Owners Facing a Transition: Preparing for, weighing, or actively negotiating a business sale, succession, exit, or liquidity event.
Leaders Managing Disjointed Advice: Looking to align a separate CPA, attorney, banker, and investment manager under one cohesive strategy.
Success-Minded Individuals: Moving away from fragmented, one-off advice toward long-term, total-wealth alignment.

See if We're a Fit

Common Financial Concerns for Executives & Business Owners

Concentration & Liquidity

Net worth dominated by employer stock, options/RSUs, or a single private business
Trading windows, holding requirements, or illiquid private shares
Lifestyle and diversification needs competing with business cash flow

Taxes at Scale

Ordinary income at the top brackets, AMT risk, NIIT, and multi-state exposure
Timing of exercises and vesting, K-1 surprises, and entity-structure inefficiencies

Coordination Fatigue

Quarterbacking CPAs, attorneys, bankers, and investment managers yourself
Decisions made in silos, creating friction, confusion, and coordination slippage

Succession & Exit

When and how to sell, whether to family, management, private equity, a strategic buyer, or through a recapitalization
Equity-comp cliffs, change-in-control terms, and earn-out risk

How We Help Executives & Business Owners

As complexity grows, decisions across your equity, taxes, business, and estate become increasingly connected. We help bring coordination and clarity to all of them.

Equity & Stock Compensation Planning - Plan around options, RSUs, and concentrated positions with attention to timing, taxes, and diversification.

Tax-Efficient Investment Strategies - Design portfolios around your tax picture, not headlines, to reduce unnecessary drag over time.

Business Succession & Exit Strategies - Model sale scenarios, evaluate offers, and prepare for the financial and tax impact of a transition.

Risk Management & Asset Protection - Align insurance planning and protection strategies with your growing income and assets.

Legacy & Estate Planning - Develop estate strategies designed to align with your legacy and wealth transfer objectives.

Coordination of Your Financial Circle - Serve as the central point of advice across your CPA, banker, attorney, and other professionals.

Explore All Financial Solutions

What You Can Expect Working With Us

We empower you → You will feel in control of your money, instead of your money controlling you.

We give you Guilt-Free Spending™ → You will be able to spend money knowing you have a realistic plan in place for your long-range goals.

We want you to feel like our only client → You will never be put on hold or speak with someone who doesn't know your name.

We educate with plain language → You will understand your financial plan, including the strategy and why it makes sense just for you.

We are accessible → You will be able to reach us every time. Your team is available and ready whenever you need us.

At Spaugh Dameron Tenny, our goal is to make your financial planning journey rewarding, enjoyable, and fully transparent. While we can’t predict every curve in the road, our entire team is dedicated to guiding you through every step with confidence.

Watch the SDT Team’s Pledge

Our Process

We make this simple and convenient, no matter your financial goals or where you live. Meetings can be held over Zoom, in person, by phone, or a combination of all. You’re only a few weeks away from a fully customized, comprehensive financial plan.

Fit & Fact-Finding

We answer your questions, learn about your goals and background, and mutually decide if we can help.

Deep Dive

We review and analyze key financial information.

Education & Strategy

We present our findings and educate you on concepts and strategies that can help.

Execution

We coordinate with your CPA, attorney, and bankers as we implement every step.

Ongoing Planning & Adaptation

At least annually, and more often when life calls for it, with an annual plan refresh and event-driven adjustments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you work with my existing CPA and attorney?

Yes. We lead with coordination through clear task lists, shared timelines, and documentation.

Do you have experience with concentrated stock?

Yes. We work with concentrated positions in both private and public companies. For private stock, we advise on liquidity strategies. For public stock holdings, we use tools such as 10b5-1 plans, charitable gifting, and hedging to support diversification and long-term goals.

Can you help me figure out what I need to sell my business for?

Yes. Through our planning process, we model hypothetical sale scenarios to test the financial viability of a sale. If you already have Letters of Intent (LOI), we factor them in to see how well they align with your goals.

What if I’m 12 to 24 months from a sale?

That timing is ideal. Pre-LOI moves often have the biggest tax and control impact.

Do you manage investments?

Yes, and we manage to the plan. Risk budget, liquidity targets, and taxes drive portfolio design, not headlines.

Explore Relevant Articles from Our Team

Form 1099-DIV showing mutual fund capital gain distributions in Box 2a for a taxable brokerage account.

Investments, Tax Planning

Why You Owe Taxes on Capital Gains: Even If You Didn’t Sell or Withdraw

Estate Planning When You Have No Obvious Beneficiaries

Rule 72(t): How to Access Retirement Funds Before Age 59½

Let’s Talk

The financial decisions you make today can influence your business, family, and long-term legacy. We help executives and business owners navigate complexity with objective advice and a coordinated plan.

Schedule a complimentary 15-minute introductory call to discuss your goals and explore how we can help. Complete the form, and a member of our advisory team will reach out shortly.