Effective financial planning for executives and entrepreneurs is complex, dense, and impossible to reduce to a single, easy-to-understand formula. Designed to emphasize the importance of successful, targeted financial planning, this book begins by telling a story about a fictional, but plausible, power couple and their family who (spoiler alert!) do pretty much everything wrong in securing their financial future. In most cases, they don’t do the things needed because they don’t know what they are. Using this story as a case study of an executive and an entrepreneur, the book breaks down the case into chapters and offers practical discussions of all the key financial planning components―investment planning, tax planning, estate planning, philanthropic planning, risk management, and equity-based compensation to name a few―with the tools needed to tailor a plan for virtually every circumstance and need. While there is no single plan that works for everybody, this book provides a guide, with technical information alongside general themes, focused on how to build an effective financial plan.
In addition to all the benefits of the first edition, this second edition provides significant new content and insights for the entrepreneur who is planning for a future liquidity event such as a sale. It also provides detail on how to manage concentrated ownership positions and on ESG investment strategies, a rapidly growing investment theme. Finally, the second edition includes tax, estate planning, regulatory, and other updates to reflect changes since the first edition was published.
Michael J. Nathanson is the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of The Colony Group, LLC. He is widely regarded as a leader in the wealth management industry and is committed to sharing his knowledge and experience with colleagues, clients, and the next generation of industry leaders. He is active in many industry-wide organizations and has served on numerous boards, including the Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services Advisor Council and the Schwab Advisor Services Advisory Board. Previously, he served on the Board of Advisors for Boston University’s Program for Financial Planners and as Co-Chairman of the Boston Bar Association Tax Section. Previously, Nathanson served as President, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel of The Colony Group. Prior to joining The Colony Group, he was a Senior Partner at the international law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, where he held several leadership positions. He earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Brandeis University, where he was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa and was the recipient of numerous academic honors.
Additional Authors from The Colony Group include:
Jeffrey T. Craig, CFP®
Senior Vice President & Senior Wealth Advisor
Jennifer A. Geoghegan, MBA
Chief of Staff & Strategy
Max B. Haspel
Co-President, Business Owner Services & Senior Wealth Advisor
Nadine Gordon Lee, CPA/PFS, CFP®
Managing Director, Metro NY Offices & President, Colony Group Family Office
Michael Haber, JD, CFP®
Managing Director, Colony Wealth Management & Senior Wealth Advisor
Seth P. Hieken, MSF, CFA
Executive Vice President & Director of Proprietary Strategies
Matthew C. Ilteris, CFP®, EA®
Vice President & Senior Wealth Advisor
D. Scott McDonald, MSFP, CFP®
Senior Vice President & Senior Wealth Advisor
Joseph A. Salvati, CFP®
Senior Vice President & Senior Wealth Advisor
Steven R. Stelljes, JD, CFP®
President of Client Services
