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Planning Services

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Planning Services

Leonard J. Miller & Associates, chartered offers a broad array of financial planning services to address your individual needs. Whether you need help formulating a comprehensive plan or want to consult with our experienced staff on a specific issue of concern, we are eager to be of assistance.

You own your business, and all is going well. But you have dreams of retirement one day. Have you considered what is associated with your exit? Have you considered if you are financially and mentally ready? Do you have a transferrable business? Your answers to these questions help to understand where you potentially stand in your exit.

Each report looks at a different aspect of your exit strategy – the amount of dependence that your business has on you as an individual, your financial and mental readiness for a business transition, and your overall goals. The sale of a business is not an event like the sale of a home. It is a process that takes planning, structuring and demonstration of key metrics.
Each report takes about 10-20 minutes to complete and are completely free. After responding and reviewing your report, you may want to schedule a meeting to gain further clarity on your next steps to move forward with your dreams of retirement. Feel free to call us at 410-539-4600 to schedule your follow-up conversation.

BERI™ Report

The Business Exit Readiness Index™ questionnaire is a 20-question online assessment used to assist you in determining your financial and mental readiness for your exit. Once you complete this assessment, your answers are sent immediately to your e-mail and kept completely confidential.

ODI™ Report

The Owner Dependence Report™ is a 40-question online assessment that will assist you in determining the amount of dependence that your business has on you as an individual. Once you complete this assessment, your customized report is sent immediately to your e-mail and kept completely confidential.

GPI™ Report

The Growth Planning Index™ Report is intended to provide a measurement of your overall commitment and focus on growing your business. This 20-question survey is designed to inform and guide your first steps towards better understanding the ‘type of growth owner’ that you most resemble so that you can prioritize growth-oriented tasks/drivers in your business to suit your overall goals. Once you complete this assessment, your answers are sent immediately to your e-mail and kept completely confidential.

Many changes have taken place in the estate tax arena in recent years. However, federal and state estate taxes remain high. We can help you take advantage of planning opportunities appropriate to your situation. Our services include:

Reviewing your current estate plan:
Does the plan correspond to your wishes? What taxes are likely to be due? Will there be enough cash available to pay the taxes due? Are your assets titled appropriately?

Developing strategies to meet your goals:
Is it advisable to make gifts now to family members? What should you give away? Should you incorporate a trust into your plans to minimize taxes, or to protect assets from creditors and predators? Can charitable giving be used to benefit both you and the charity?

Life insurance planning:
Do you need more life insurance or do you have more insurance than necessary? Is your insurance owned by the appropriate party or will there be unnecessary estate tax because of who owns the policy? How can you improve your existing insurance situation?

With an array of retirement plans available, the choices can be daunting. Should you put funds into a Roth IRA? What is the best plan for your business to offer its employees? Is there a way to reward key employees with a special plan just for them? We are happy to help with these important issues.

Many individuals hold a large part of their assets in retirement plans such as 401(k) plans, IRAs and 403(b) plans. As they enter their golden years, retirement plan owners face numerous decisions. We can help in making those decisions, including when to withdraw, how much to withdraw, and whom to name as beneficiaries.

The recent tax law changes are quite expansive and will affect nearly every taxpayer – individual and business. Professional tax planning assistance is therefore, essential. Our tax professionals can supply the tax advice and planning strategies you require to best take advantage of the new and existing provisions.

As the owner of a closely held business, you may be facing issues such as how to create a smooth transition from senior family members to younger ones.

When should you transfer ownership of the business? How much should be transferred? How do you equalize transfers between children who have different capabilities and interests? Do you have a buy-sell agreement in place? How can you retain a key employee who is not a family member? We can guide you through these tough issues.

With college costs escalating at a rate far in excess of inflation, many of our clients are concerned about meeting the costs of higher education for their children and grandchildren. We can develop a plan for you to make investments over time to provide funds for the projected education costs.

Some of the issues we can discuss include: Should you open a Coverdale IRA account? Is a qualified State Tuition Program (Section 529 plan) appropriate for your circumstances? What factors should guide you in choosing the appropriate plan? How much should you invest and when? We can help you evaluate your portfolio in light of your goals, financial position and tax situation and recommend changes if warranted.

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