You own a business and your retirement contributions are smaller than they should be.
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Build Retirement Wealth on Your Terms — Not Wall Street's.
Self-directed accounts, Roth strategy, and Social Security coordination for business owners, real estate investors, and self-employed professionals.
Retirement Investing in Assets You Actually Understand
A standard employer 401(k) limits you to a menu of mutual funds. For business owners, real-estate investors, and self-employed professionals, that leaves significant strategy on the table.
Self-directed accounts open the door to retirement investing in real estate, private notes, private operating companies, and precious metals — alongside or instead of stocks and bonds. The flexibility is real. So are the rules — prohibited-transaction missteps can disqualify the entire account.
Choosing the right vehicle is the easy part. The harder questions are which dollars to put where, in what order to draw them down decades from now, and how to coordinate retirement accounts with taxable accounts, business equity, Social Security, and your estate plan. That coordination is what we do.
Free Consultation
Get a coordinated second opinion.
30 minutes with a planner who reads tax, estate, and investment context together — not in silos.
Who It's For
Tax Planning Is For You If…
You have an old 401(k) sitting at a previous employer.
You’re 5–15 years from retirement with a large pre-tax balance and no Roth strategy.
You invest in real estate and want IRA dollars to participate.
You’re approaching Social Security age and unsure when to claim.
Your spouse has their own retirement accounts and no one is coordinating both.
Who It's For
Tax Doesn't Live in a Silo
Every tax decision touches estate, investment, retirement, and business strategy. We coordinate all of them — not in separate meetings with separate professionals, but in one conversation.
Self-Directed IRA
Alternative Asset Access
Traditional IRA structure with a specialized custodian — real estate, private notes, private companies, precious metals.
Self-Directed Roth IRA
Tax-Free Growth
Same alternative-asset flexibility, funded with after-tax dollars. Qualified distributions — including all growth — tax-free. No RMDs in the owner’s lifetime.
Solo 401(k)
Maximum Contributions + Control
For self-employed individuals and owner-only businesses. Significantly higher contribution limits than a SEP. Roth option built in. Plan loans available.
SEP IRA
Simple for Variable Income
Lowest-friction setup for solo or small-team businesses. Up to 25% of net self-employment income with no ongoing filings.
Defined Benefit Plan
High-Income Owners
Designed for 50+ business owners with high, stable income — can shelter $200K+ annually, far above other limits.
Roth Conversion Strategy
Multi-Year Ladders
Convert pre-tax balances to Roth during low-income years — gap years before Social Security or business-loss years.
Social Security Timing
Claim Strategy
When to claim, spousal coordination, tax-efficient sequencing with other income sources.
Withdrawal Sequencing
Which Bucket First
Taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free buckets drawn in the order that minimizes lifetime tax.
Estate Coordination
Beneficiary + Trust
Retirement accounts pass by beneficiary form, not will. We coordinate them with your trust so the SECURE Act doesn’t blindside heirs.
Our Process
How a Tax Planning Engagement Works
Account Audit
We catalog every retirement account — current, former, spouse’s, and self-employment — and any taxable accounts feeding the same goal.
Strategy
We model contribution structure, conversion opportunities, and the order of withdrawals — projected 20–30 years out.
Implementation
Plan setup, custodian transfers, contribution automation, and beneficiary updates — coordinated with your CPA.
Annual Review
Tax law, income, and goals change. We re-run the model annually and adjust contributions, conversions, and allocations.
Free Guide
Bowie, the DMV, and Nationwide
Federal employees, government contractors, and private-sector professionals across Maryland, DC, and Virginia each face a unique mix of TSP, FERS, 401(k), and self-employment retirement options. We know the local landscape.
For clients outside the region, retirement planning is fully remote — secure video meetings, electronic document workflows, and coordination with custodians anywhere in the country.
Serving the DMV & Nationwide
Serving Bowie, the DMV, and Clients Nationwide
Our office is in Bowie, Maryland, and a large portion of our clients live in Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia. We're deeply familiar with Maryland's tax environment, DC's unincorporated business franchise tax, and the cross-border issues that come with living in one jurisdiction and earning income in another.
For clients outside the region, we run engagements entirely by secure video. Every state's nuances differ, and we coordinate with local CPAs and attorneys wherever you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tax Planning That — Common Questions
What is a self-directed IRA and how is it different from a regular IRA?
A self-directed IRA has the same tax treatment as a traditional or Roth IRA, but uses a specialized custodian that allows you to invest in alternative assets — real estate, private notes, private companies, and precious metals — alongside or instead of stocks and bonds. The flexibility is real, and so are the rules. Prohibited transaction missteps can disqualify the entire account, which is why coordination matters.
How much can a business owner contribute to a Solo 401(k)?
In 2026, owner-only businesses can contribute as much as ~$70K (plus catch-up contributions for those 50+), combining employee deferrals and employer profit-sharing. That's significantly higher than a SEP IRA for most income levels, with a built-in Roth option and the ability to take a plan loan.
What is a Roth conversion ladder and when does it make sense?
A Roth conversion ladder is a multi-year strategy that moves pre-tax retirement dollars into a Roth IRA during your lower-income years — typically the gap between retirement and Social Security, or any year your taxable income drops. The conversions trigger income tax now, but all future growth and withdrawals are tax-free. It's one of the highest-leverage moves available to retirees with large pre-tax balances.
When should I claim Social Security?
It depends on your full retirement age, life expectancy, spouse's earnings record, other retirement income, and tax bracket. Claiming early reduces the benefit permanently; delaying past full retirement age adds 8% per year up to age 70. We model both before recommending.
Do I need a financial advisor if I have a 401(k) at work?
A workplace 401(k) is a starting point, not a strategy. It doesn't coordinate with your taxes, your spouse's plan, your Roth options, your taxable accounts, or your estate. As balances grow past ~$250K and definitely past $1M, the gaps between accounts cost more than the advisor does.
Can I roll over an old 401(k) into a self-directed IRA?
Almost always, yes. Old employer plans (former jobs, terminated plans) are typically eligible for rollover into a self-directed IRA or traditional IRA. Current-employer plans usually require an in-service withdrawal provision. We help evaluate whether the rollover makes sense and execute it without triggering tax.
Coordinated Disciplines
Related Planning Areas
Estate Planning
Retirement Planning
Business Owner Planning
Wealth Management
Asset Protection
CFO Services
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The Legacy Wealth Brief
Your Next Tax Year Starts Today.
Schedule a complimentary 30-minute conversation. We'll review what you're doing now and identify the two or three changes that would matter most.