Financial Planning in Tampa
Fee-only fiduciary advisors serving Tampa Bay. Your investment, tax, and estate strategy, coordinated for families whose success has created complexity.
Fee-Only
Compensated solely by our clients. No commissions. No conflicts.
Serving Florida Since 1995
Three decades of fee-only fiduciary wealth management.
Your Business Built Your Wealth. Your Plan Should Protect It.
Your investments, tax strategy, and estate plan, coordinated within one framework. View our planning process
You have spent years building something valuable. The revenue is strong, the team is in place, and the conversation about "what comes next" is getting harder to postpone. But the plan for your personal wealth has not kept pace with the plan for your company.
Tampa Bay's entrepreneurial economy generates a specific set of planning needs: concentrated business equity that represents most of your net worth, an entity structure that made sense five years ago but may not survive a transaction efficiently, a spouse whose financial security depends entirely on a business sale that has not happened yet, and an estate plan that does not account for the current value of what you own. Your financial plan should prepare for the exit years before it happens.
Your Tampa FinancialTeam
William J. Kearney, Jr.
Bill serves as President and Business Manager of FirsTrust, overseeing the firm's day-to-day operations. He is often the first voice to welcome prospective clients to the firm.
Financial Planning Considerations for Tampa Bay Families
Business Succession Planning
39 of Florida's largest private companies are Tampa Bay-based. Whether you are planning a sale, management buyout, or family transition, your financial plan integrates pre-exit tax optimization, liquidity event preparation, and post-exit wealth stewardship.
Raymond James Employee Planning
Concentrated RJF stock, deferred compensation, and employer-sponsored benefits require coordinated planning that accounts for blackout periods, insider restrictions, and tax-efficient disposition timing.
Military Family Financial Planning
MacDill Air Force Base families face unique planning needs: TSP optimization, military pension coordination, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections, SGLI/VGLI conversion decisions, and career-transition financial planning.
Corporate Relocation and Growth
Tampa attracted 29 corporate relocations in FY2025, bringing $273M in new investment. Families relocating from high-tax states need domicile establishment, estate document updates, and income timing coordination.
Communities We Serve from Tampa
Communities
- Davis Islands
- Hyde Park
- Bayshore Beautiful/Bayshore Boulevard
- Palma Ceia
- Culbreath Isles
- Beach Park
- Sunset Park
- Avila
- Westchase
- Carrollwood
- Tampa Palms
- New Tampa
- Harbour Island
- Water Street/Channelside
- South Tampa
- Lutz/Odessa estates
- Cory Lake Isles
- Golf View
- Swann Estates
- Parkland Estates
Common Questions About Financial Planning in Tampa
The most effective exit planning begins three to five years before the anticipated transaction. Early planning allows time to optimize entity structure for tax efficiency, evaluate Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) eligibility under Section 1202, fund irrevocable trusts before the business valuation increases, establish buy-sell agreements with partners, and coordinate with transaction attorneys and investment bankers. Planning initiated after a letter of intent or purchase agreement is in place limits the available tools significantly. Your FinancialTeam can evaluate your current structure and develop a pre-exit roadmap. Business exit planning involves complex legal and tax considerations; consult with your CPA and attorney. Learn more about planning for business owners
Military families accumulate retirement benefits through the military pension system (either the legacy High-3 or the Blended Retirement System) and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Your FinancialTeam coordinates these benefits with Social Security timing, personal investments, and spouse career income to build a comprehensive retirement income plan. TSP offers both traditional and Roth options with very low expense ratios, and rollover decisions at separation should be evaluated carefully. Survivor Benefit Plan elections, SGLI to VGLI conversion timing, and VA benefit coordination are all part of the planning framework. Military benefit rules are complex and change periodically; we coordinate with benefits counselors as needed. Learn more about financial planning
Raymond James employees who have accumulated significant RJF equity through stock options, RSUs, ESPP, or direct purchase face concentration risk that should be addressed systematically. Options may include establishing a diversification plan that sells shares on a defined schedule, donating appreciated shares to charity (potentially avoiding capital gains while providing a deduction), holding shares in tax-advantaged accounts where possible, and coordinating sales with other income sources to manage tax brackets. Insider trading policies, blackout periods, and pre-clearance requirements must be observed. Your Investment Policy Statement documents the target allocation and timeline. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any specific security. Learn more about investment management
Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code allows shareholders of Qualified Small Business Stock to exclude up to $10M (or 10x their basis, whichever is greater) of gain from the sale of stock in a qualified C-corporation held for more than five years. The business must meet specific requirements including active business criteria, asset limitations ($50M or less at the time of stock issuance), and certain industry exclusions. QSBS qualification analysis should be conducted well before a sale because retroactive qualification is generally not possible. Your FinancialTeam can evaluate whether your business may qualify and coordinate with your CPA and attorney. Tax law is complex and subject to change; QSBS benefits depend on individual circumstances.
Property tax rates in the Tampa Bay area vary by county, municipality, and special taxing districts. Hillsborough County's total millage inside Tampa city limits runs approximately 19.84 to 21.66 mills. Pinellas County ranges from approximately 17 to 21 mills depending on municipality (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and unincorporated areas each have different rates). Your financial plan models property tax for your specific address because rates vary within a single county. Save Our Homes assessment cap, portability provisions, and homestead exemption all affect your actual tax obligation.