What we’ve undeniably learned from working with pharmaceutical executives on their finances for many years is that they certainly operate in a high-pressure, rapidly changing environment.
That’s where a financial advisor comes in.
Financial advisors equipped with industry expertise offer pharma leaders solutions to their most pressing financial planning needs, and understand the complexities of their biggest challenges.
With that said, let’s take a deeper look at the most common challenges we see and how an advisor can help “save the day”.
1. Navigating Variable Pay
Many pharma execs receive 25% to 75% of their total compensation from performance bonuses, stock options, and other incentives. Advisors can help analyze these variable pay structures across jobs and over time to optimize exercise and tax strategies. This ensures executives maximize earnings from short and long-term incentives.
2. Job Changes Require Special Attention
Frequent job changes in the pharma industry make evaluating and comparing compensation packages difficult. Advisors can compare the salary, bonuses, incentives, benefits, and other components across offers to help executives make job change decisions. They can also ensure assets like 401ks, stock options, and RSUs are handled properly when transitioning between companies.
3. Savvy Tax Planning
Complex assets like stock options and RSUs require savvy tax planning and exercise strategies. Advisors can recommend strategies to optimize tax liability over the short and long-term.
4. Retirement and Wealth Management
With fluctuating income from year to year, it can be challenging for pharma executives to evaluate if they are on track for retirement and other financial goals. Advisors take a holistic view of current income, assets, debts, and future earnings potential to create customized strategies for retirement, taxes, and overall wealth management.
The Value of Industry Expertise
Because of their specialized compensation and career patterns, pharma executives benefit from working with financial advisors who deeply understand their industry. Advisors with expertise in the pharma space can optimize executive earning potential, growth of assets, and long-term security throughout their career journey.
The expertise of a financial advisor helps pharma executives successfully navigate the unique twists and turns of their financial life. With strategic planning, they can make the most of their earning potential today while building wealth for the future.
