Nicole and Andrew: A Case Story in Financial Complexity

Nicole is a corporate executive, and her husband Andrew is a university professor. Both hold PhDs and juggle significant personal, professional, and financial complexities. Their blended family includes:

• One child currently in college
  
  
• One child launching a career in New York City
  
  

Nicole works in New Jersey and manages a demanding schedule while owning multiple properties. Together, she and Andrew are high-income earners with a complicated web of benefits, incentives, and tax implications that have become increasingly difficult to manage.

Andrew, grounded in academia, was struck by a colleague who seemed to effortlessly balance a successful career with frequent travel and financial freedom. Curious, Andrew asked,
"You travel the world and seem to have all the time and money you need. How do you do it?"

His colleague replied with a smile,
"I have a really strong financial planning team."

That conversation led Andrew and Nicole to discover Diversified Investment Strategies LLC.

During their first consultation, it was clear Nicole and Andrew needed comprehensive financial guidance. Our team uncovered a variety of pressing priorities:

• Supporting their oldest child’s career in NYC
  
  
• Funding college tuition for another child
  
  
• Paying for private school for their youngest
  
  
• Helping Andrew pursue another Ph.D.
  
  
• Updating their estate plan to include their youngest child
  
  

With Nicole traveling for work and Andrew balancing a full academic load, it became difficult to stay on track toward their goals.

Nicole’s company had been performing well, significantly increasing the value of her employee stock option plan. She saw an opportunity to sell some of her company stock to support their lifestyle and family goals.

However, as a corporate executive, Nicole needed to comply with insider trading regulations. She required:

• A 10b5-1 written trading plan to allow structured stock sales
  
  
• Coordinated support from a CPA for tax implications*
  
  
• Time and attention that their busy schedules could not accommodate
  

*Specific individualized tax advice not provided. We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with a qualified tax advisor.

After partnering with Diversified Investment Strategies LLC, it became clear they needed a stronger support system. Their current CPA and attorney were underperforming, and the couple wasn’t even sure what to expect from those professionals.

As a starting point, we:

• Introduced them to a new CPA and estate planning attorney better aligned with their goals
  
  
• Helped them build a more cohesive team
  
  

We continued to check that all of their goals and financial priorities were continuously addressed and properly funded

With the right team in place, Nicole and Andrew are now able to continue their fast-paced lives with greater confidence. Behind the scenes, we continue to monitor and manage their financial strategy—so they can stay focused on what matters most.