Jane
Getting Her Confidence Back
The Story
Jane, 63, is a retired woman living in Belmont, MA. She had been working with a large national financial advisory firm to manage her $2 million portfolio. While the investment performance had been generally acceptable, the personal attention she valued started fading over the years. Multiple advisor changes, inconsistent communication, and limited responsiveness left her questioning the value she was receiving — especially considering she was still paying a 1% annual advisory fee.
Still, the idea of switching firms felt overwhelming. Jane worried about disrupting her investments, triggering taxable events, and further complicating her taxes, which were handled by the firm’s separate in-house division. The lack of coordination between her advisor and tax preparer had already caused frustration, and she feared starting fresh would only create more headaches.
How Evergreen Helped
During the onboarding process, Nick took the time to deeply understand Jane’s financial situation and personal background. As part of their planning conversations, Jane mentioned that she had been divorced for over 20 years after a marriage that lasted more than a decade. What she didn’t realize was that this fact unlocked a valuable — and often overlooked — Social Security opportunity.
Nick explained that because she was married for more than 10 years, she could potentially be eligible to claim benefits based on her ex-husband’s Social Security record without reducing or affecting his benefits. Jane was initially hesitant; she was on good terms with her ex and didn’t want to do anything that might negatively impact him. Nick reassured her that the Social Security rules are clear — claiming an ex-spouse benefit has no impact on the ex-spouse or their current family.
To make sure everything was handled properly, Nick scheduled and hosted a conference call with Jane and a local Social Security Administration representative. Together, they walked through her options, verified the rules, and confirmed the optimal claiming strategy. This gave Jane clarity and confidence that she wasn’t harming anyone by accessing this benefit.
Better yet, Nick helped her navigate the filing process, resulting in not only an immediate boost to her retirement income but also a lump-sum payment for several prior months of benefits she hadn’t claimed.
At the same time, Nick reviewed Jane’s portfolio and found that many of her long-held individual stock positions could be retained without triggering taxes. All assets were transferred in-kind to Charles Schwab, avoiding taxable events during the transition. Jane appreciated that Nick emphasized patience — no trades were placed until they were fully aligned on a plan.
Nick also identified costly, underperforming bond funds in her portfolio and recommended replacing them with individual U.S. Treasuries, lowering her fees while improving tax efficiency. Using Holistiplan, Nick reviewed Jane’s latest tax return and provided her with a clear snapshot of her current tax situation, helping her make better-informed decisions going forward.
Finally, to round out the transition, Nick joined Jane on Zoom calls as she interviewed new independent CPAs. Acting as an advocate and resource — without steering the decision — he helped her select a tax professional who was a better match for her needs and communication style.
The Outcome
Jane now enjoys a streamlined, professionally managed financial plan, lower investment costs, and additional Social Security income that she would have otherwise left unclaimed.
With a responsive advisor, better tax coordination, and a clearer long-term strategy, Jane feels more secure than ever — without the anxiety and second-guessing she experienced at her previous firm.