Manifesto

Most therapists see a therapist.

The Seattle Seahawks have almost as many coaches as players.

And even the most seasoned climber doesn’t summit Everest without a Sherpa.

You know why?

Because having a guide helps.

If you don’t know the way, a guide is indispensable.

But even if you’re an expert or well on your way, a guide can offer assurance, show you a few shortcuts and make sure you don’t stray off course.

We are guides.

And we help people navigate something far more compelling than a trail or path or investment opportunities and the market.

We don’t start a relationship by offering hot stock tips and patent-pending investment strategies.

We sit down and get to know our clients.

Where are they in their lives?

What makes them happy and fulfilled?

What do they want from their future?

Once we know where they are and where they want to go, we can set out on a journey to get there together.

And hey, if we decide we want to change where we’re going or take a different route, that’s okay too.

We’re expert guides, so we can help even the most sophisticated investor, but we pride ourselves on making the complicated easy to understand for everyone.

So we don’t put our arms around a client’s portfolio and drag it over to our side of the table and tell them we’ll take it from here.

We work with our clients to make sure they understand and are invested in the decisions we make.

We don’t sell our clients products; we help them make choices.

About the kind of life they want to live.

About when and how they want to retire.

And what kind of legacy they want to leave behind for their families, their communities, and the world.

We are Summit.

And we know it’s a bit cheesy, but darn it, we believe this to be true.

We guide our clients towards their dreams.

 

Business Planning

Business planning focuses on issues specific to business owners and shareholders. For most business owners, the business is their most significant asset, and the financial success of that business has an immediate impact on the economic security of their families. Without proper planning, you may have difficulty tapping the value of your business to support your retirement, or your family may lose the value of your business at your death.

Business Planning coordinates the management of your business throughout its life cycle with:

  • Risk management
  • Distributions to the owners
  • Succession planning

Starting and running a business carries its own set of risk exposures, and there are several factors that can impact how safe your personal and business assets are from risk. These include, but are not limited to, the type of business entity you choose, the state you choose to do business in, as well as how you manage your business, your human resources, and your taxes. Business risk management identifies your options for handling these risks.

Executive compensation focuses on both cash and non-cash approaches. The size and structure of the business significantly influences your compensation systems. Large businesses tend to provide owners with sophisticated and sometimes complex compensation formulas. Small businesses tend to adopt a more straightforward compensation approach. Examples of compensation include insurance benefits, qualified retirement plans, stock options, personal performance initiatives, and other tax-advantaged nonqualified plans.

Succession planning focuses on the transition of a business from an existing owner to a new owner. Although key factors vary extensively with business type and industry, there are some factors common to all business transitions, including the creation of a sellable business and the formulation of specific transition mechanics at time of sale. Additional succession planning issues include positioning a business for sale, determining valuation and terms, grooming senior management, and creating strategic alliances.

This material has been provided for general informational purposes only. Investors should consult with a business planning professional regarding their individual situation.