Retirement Plan Advisory
Our retirement plan advisory services benefit organizations that are re-evaluating their current offerings or are in a less than ideal/productive relationship with their current advisor and/or recordkeeper.
If you’re exploring retirement savings programs for your business, a defined contribution (DC) plan such as a 401(k), 403(b), or profit-sharing plan is worth serious consideration. These plans offer tax advantages for employers while helping employees build financial security, especially with contribution-matching opportunities.
Balefire’s corporate solutions team provides guidance on fiduciary risk management, ensuring your plan is structured to meet all regulatory requirements while serving the best interests of participants.
Non-qualified retirement plans offer a tax efficient way for employers to provide executive retirement benefits far above the limits of a traditional 401(k) plans. Our team counsels these mission critical employees on how to maximize their pre-tax savings in an efficient way customized for their unique needs.
These plans offer flexibility for employers when it comes to structuring compensation, allowing them to tailor benefits to key employees without worrying about the discriminatory constraints of ERISA-qualified plans.
Balefire’s corporate planning team will assist you with everything from ensuring compliance with IRS regulations to optimizing funding strategies and understanding the tax implications of each funding option.
Pooled employer plans (PEPs) enable small and medium-sized businesses to pool their retirement plan assets together to potentially reduce cost and improve administrative efficiencies. Clients who participate in a PEP can benefit from streamlined plan management and reduced fiduciary responsibilities, while employees can take advantage of a quality institutional retirement plan tools and resources.
Balefire’s corporate financial consultants work with their clients and prospects to determine which type of retirement structure may be best suited to their needs and those of their employees.
Tax-exempt organizations face unique financial challenges like balancing multiple revenue streams, managing restricted funding, and ensuring compliance with complex regulations.
Balefire’s corporate financial consultants have experience partnering with tax-exempt organizations to manage their 403(b) plans while maximizing their their unique tax situation and abiding by regulatory requirements.
Many entrepreneurs know how they got into business but can face significant challenges when transitioning out of their business often due to a lack of proper succession planning. An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) can be a tax efficient way to provide an exit strategy while also boosting employee loyalty and productivity. It can also be a powerful way to align your employees’ interests with the success of your company.
Balefire acts as a consultant for organizational ESOP implementation and management. Our team will help you develop an ownership structure design that aligns with your business’ goals and maximizes benefits for both the company and employees. We’ll also make sure you understand the tax implications and governance requirements of ESOP plans and how to optimize them for long-term success and compliance.
Defined benefit plans—commonly known as pension plans—provide a fixed, pre-established benefit for employees at retirement. Employers can contribute more to defined benefit plans than defined contribution plans each year, which in turn means they can deduct larger amounts from their taxable income.
Defined benefit plans are more complex and costly to establish and maintain than other retirement programs, which is why employers often rely on consulting firms like Balefire for help with regulatory compliance and risk management.
Balefire’s defined benefit planning services help employers overcome the complexities of pension plan management. Our team can assist with actuarial calculations, funding strategies, and ongoing reporting. Our goal is to ensure that your defined benefit plan is adequately funded, meets legal obligations, and provides reliable retirement benefits to your team.
Prioritize People. Drive the Benefits
We act as a liaison and partner with our corporate clients to guide them through the process of assessing and selecting the right benefits for their greatest asset: their people.
Executive Outcomes
Executive benefits are a tool for attracting, retaining and motivating high level leaders – and for executives they are a key part of the total compensation equation.
Succession planning is a strategic process organizations use to identify and develop potential future leaders who can fill key roles as they become vacant. It ensures business continuity by preparing high-potential employees to step into critical positions, minimizing disruptions and maintaining organizational stability. Effective succession planning involves assessing current talent, identifying skill gaps, and providing targeted development opportunities to prepare individuals for future responsibilities. By fostering a pipeline of capable leaders, companies can adapt more quickly to change, retain institutional knowledge, and support long-term growth and success.
Key Man Life Insurance is a corporate-owned life insurance policy issued on an executive, owner, or other key employee to ensure continuity in the event of their death. It helps protect the company from disruption by covering financial losses and funding leadership replacements.
Balefire will guide you through the process of protecting your business from financial loss in the event of the death of a key employee whose skills, knowledge, or leadership are vital to the company’s success. Our team can also evaluate current buy/sell insurance policies, which help facilitate ownership transitions in the event of a partner’s death by providing funds to the business (or remaining partners) to buy out the deceased partner’s shares.
A personal CFO (Chief Financial Officer) acts like a financial quarterback for an individual or family. Instead of managing a company’s finances, they manage your financial life—strategically and holistically
A personal CFO typically:
- Coordinates all aspects of your financial life: investments, taxes, estate planning, insurance, budgeting, etc.
- Serves as your main point of contact across various financial professionals (CPA, financial dvisor, estate attorney).
- Builds a personalized financial plan based on your goals (e.g., retirement, buying a business, college funding, legacy planning).
- Advises on big decisions—buying property, starting a business, changing careers, etc.
- Makes sure your investment strategy aligns with your goals, risk tolerance, and tax situation.
- Collaborates with your CPA to optimize your tax strategy—sometimes finding deductions or efficiencies others miss.
- Helps with things like tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving, and planning for large liquidity events.
- Reviews your insurance coverage (life, disability, umbrella, property, etc.) to make sure you’re protected without being over-insured.
- Offers objective advice in emotionally charged or complex financial situations.
- Keeps you organized and on track, adjusting your strategy as your life evolves. Balefire’s team of professionals will help you bridge the gap between your life and your money—especially useful for busy professionals, business owners, or people with complex financial lives.
Having a financially savvy workforce benefits your business—namely, because you avoid the costly consequences of the alternative. Fifty percent of workers age 60 and over plan to work until age 70 or later. This costs employers somewhere between $10,000 and $50,000 in insurance and benefits for each year an employee delays retirement. Additionally, this can hinder career advancement for younger workers, leading to turnover, which costs businesses an average of $15,000 per lost employee.
Offering worksite financial wellness coaching through Balefire can help mitigate these costs and support a healthier, more productive and loyal workforce. One of the most effective ways to increase financial literacy is by offering personalized guidance to employees on managing their finances. Each employee has unique goals, and whether they need assistance with retirement planning, debt management, or selecting the right investments, Balefire can help them create a clear, actionable plan to reach those objectives. By educating employees on their benefits, compensation packages and providing ongoing financial literacy resources, we empower them to make sound decisions and adjust their plans as their needs evolve. In addition, well-informed employees tend to have increased loyalty to their employer as they can clearly see and appreciate the value of their worksite benefits.
Align Your Business for What’s Next
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 40% of businesses fail within the first three years, and that number jumps to 80% within the first 20 years. Don’t be a statistic.
Our Align 360 process helps business owners move from reactive to intentional. We work alongside your team to design integrated, forward-looking strategies that drive sustainable growth and long-term value.
Financial Wellness Coaching
Having a financially savvy workforce benefits your business—namely, because you avoid the costly consequences of the alternative.Offering financial wellness coaching through firms like Balefire can help mitigate these costs and support a healthier, more productive workforce.
Fifty percent of workers age 60 and over plan to work until age 70 or later. This costs employers somewhere between $10,000 and $50,000 in insurance and benefits for each year an employee delays retirement. Additionally, this can hinder career advancement for younger workers, leading to turnover, which costs businesses an average of $15,000 per lost employee.
Individual Plans for Participants
One of the most effective ways to increase financial literacy is by offering personalized guidance to employees on managing their finances. Each employee has unique goals, and whether they need assistance with retirement planning, debt management, or selecting the right investments, Balefire can help them create a clear, actionable plan to reach those objectives.
In addition to personalized financial planning and budgeting, Balefire educates employees on their retirement plan options and provides advice for maximizing contributions to secure their financial future. By educating employees on their benefits and compensation packages and providing ongoing financial literacy resources, we empower them to make sound decisions and adjust their plans as their needs evolve.
One-On-One Financial Coaching
The average American spends approximately 13 hours per month at work worrying about their finances. Estimates put the cost of each financially stressed employee at about $5,000 per year for employers—and as you can imagine, that figure quickly starts to snowball for businesses with a large workforce.
Investing in employees’ financial literacy can help you recoup lost time, money, and productivity. Balefire’s financial coaching services are designed to instill confidence in employees when it comes to budgeting, retirement planning, and financial goal setting. Plus, offering financial coaching as a benefit boosts your employee value proposition (EVP), which in turn helps you retain top talent.
Start the Conversation
We take a thoughtful, personalized approach to connect you with the right advisor. Schedule a brief call to explore how Balefire can help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
"*" indicates required fields
By clicking “Submit”, you acknowledge that we collect your name, email address and phone number to respond to your inquiries and provide you information about our products and services in accordance with our Privacy Policy. If you are a California resident, please see our CCPA Notice to California Residents.