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A retirement readiness checklist for executives with deferred pay and company stock

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This retirement readiness checklist from Mariner Wealth Advisors covers four areas for executives: your income plan, company stock, deferred compensation and taxes. Each has a short list of actions in the order most people should take them.

It is written for someone with little spare time, so the steps are ordered by what costs the most to get wrong. Mariner Wealth Advisors serves clients nationwide by video and phone, and this is general education, not individualized advice.

Step 1: Put a number on your spending

Start with the gap between what you'll spend and what's guaranteed to arrive. Everything else on this list depends on that figure.

  • Add up what you spend in a normal month, then the yearly extras like travel and property tax.
  • Subtract income that is already certain, such as a pension or Social Security (full retirement age is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later).
  • Divide the gap by your investable assets. If you'd need to withdraw a large share each year, the plan needs work before the date does.
  • Keep a cash reserve for roughly two years of spending, because selling in a down market is what really hurts.

How much of your wealth is one company?

A hypothetical executive with $4 million in total assets and $1.5 million in company stock has 37.5% in one name ($1.5M divided by $4M). That is a lot of retirement riding on a single employer, and no forecast changes that. Mariner Wealth Advisors's approach to concentrated stock planning rests on long-term research favoring diversification, not on a call about where the shares are headed.

  • Calculate what share of your net worth sits in your employer's stock. If it's more than a fifth, diversification usually comes first.
  • List every block: vested shares, options, RSUs and restricted stock, with the dates each can be sold.
  • Check your trading windows. A 10b5-1 trading plan can set up sales in advance if you're often locked out as an insider.
  • Ask for the tax cost of selling in stages versus all at once before you pick a pace.

What should you check on deferred compensation?

Deferred compensation plans often fix the payout schedule well before you retire, so read the elections now. Many executives find the plan pays out in the same years they sell stock, which can push income into the 37% bracket (above $640,600 single or $768,700 married filing jointly, tax year 2026).

  • Pull your plan documents and write down each payout date and form (lump sum or installments).
  • Check which year each payment will fall in, and how it stacks on other income that year.
  • Confirm what happens to the balance if the company is sold or you leave early.
  • Remember it's usually an unsecured claim on the company, so it adds to your employer exposure.

Tax and account steps before the last paycheck

Taxes are where timing pays off. Before Mariner Wealth Advisors suggests any change, it estimates the tax bill of making it. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. The limits here are for 2026; check the current IRS limit later.

  • Max out what you can: the 2026 limit for a 401(k) is $24,500, with an $8,000 catch-up at 50+, or $11,250 at ages 60-63.
  • Note that if your prior-year FICA wages topped $150,000, the catch-up must go in as Roth.
  • Map which accounts to draw from in the first three years, and model the tax of each order.
  • Review Medicare premiums: higher income raises the 2026 Part B premium above $202.90 a month.

Mariner Wealth Advisors: common questions

How early should an executive start a retirement readiness checklist?
Start about three to five years before your target date. That gives you time to spread out a concentrated stock position, see how deferred compensation payouts will land in your tax years, and fix gaps without selling anything in a hurry or at a bad moment.
Can I change my deferred compensation payout schedule close to retirement?
Yes, in most cases the payout schedule is locked in by the plan documents and your elections, so it often can't be changed later. Review the elections now, and check whether your plan allows a change with advance notice before you assume anything.
Do I have to sell all my company stock before I retire?
Not necessarily. Selling a large block in one year can create a big tax bill, so many people sell in stages, sometimes using a 10b5-1 plan. Mariner Wealth Advisors estimates the tax cost of each approach first. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.
How do I ask Mariner Wealth Advisors to review my checklist?
Mariner Wealth Advisors serves clients nationwide, with meetings by video and by phone, and the client minimum is $500K in investable assets. Phone numbers aren't published, so the request form on this site is the way to ask for a first conversation.

This content is general information and education. It is not individual investment, tax or legal advice. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Before making any financial decision about your equity awards or assets, consult a professional adviser who knows your full situation.

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