Financial planning and education (without the jargon) I Creating blueprints for high-earning sales executives and business owners

I left the financial industry because I saw a problem.

People wanted to work with a planner, but they ended up becoming a number on a spreadsheet.

I had to leave to start something new.

And now?

I'm a fee-only planner who helps salespeople & equity compensated employees under 45 give a purpose to their paycheck.

I left the large financial institutions to start my own independent company. I did it so people could pay for real planning and not just an agenda to sell a hidden product. 

As a true fiduciary, Pashman Financial, LLC was built on that promise by focusing on you and you only.

🔵 Why people hire me? 

Well, people have come to me with the following problems:

- They want peace of mind with their money
- Their old advisor barely communicates with them
- They want an answer tailored to them, not from Google
- They felt pressured to buy a product that wasn't a right fit
- They are great at making money but struggle to keep it
- They want a simple plan that's easy to understand
- They want someone to hold them accountable
- They want someone they can trust

🔵 What are my services?

I help identify your goals, craft a financial blueprint that lays out action items to hit them, and monitor your progress. 

💵 Cash Flow Management  
📈 Equity Compensation
🏡 Real Estate Planning
📊 Investment Planning
📍 Retirement Planning
🛡 Insurance Planning
📚 Education Planning
💲 Tax Management
💳 Debt Repayment
📃 Estate Planning

🔵 Who do I serve?

Age: Individuals and families between 30-50 years old
Target: Sales pros, tech employees, other millennial families
Location: Virtually anywhere in the U.S.

But I love working with people that are driven to make a change. So even if you don’t fit these criteria, feel free to reach out. Your personality is everything. 

🔵 Why I'm different?

1) My model is primarily a flat fee service. No time trap. 

2) I do not require you to hand over your investments nor require a minimum to work with. Managing your assets is optional and I'll still assist you if you do it yourself. My focus is ongoing financial planning. 

3) I focus on how to increase your cash flow, not just your assets. I work with you to ensure your systems are set and consistently educate you on how your finances work. I get paid to truly keep you accountable over time.

You can find my pricing in my "featured" section on the website. 

Stop delaying action. Shoot me a message to schedule a complimentary intro.

Max Pashman, CFP®

50% of people have no idea what tax bracket they're in.

And most think more taxes mean less income. WRONG.

It's not a flat rate. 

The US tax system works at a progressive rate. 

In other words, each level of income is taxed at different rates. 

As new income is included, it is taxed at a higher rate. 

BUT that doesn't mean all of the income is taxed at that rate. 

The highest tax rate is called the "marginal rate". 

The overall tax rate (taxes divided by taxable income) is called the "effective rate". 

Big difference!

Helping Founders and Executives Plan for Early Retirement and Exit

You could skip your annual $7,500 vacation with your family.

Instead, you could contribute to a Roth IRA.

At an average 7% return, over 30 years, that $7,500 annual could grow to about $708,000.

By skipping it, you’d be closer to your retirement.

But there’s one problem.

You traded moments with your family for a bigger portfolio.

Your children will be yours forever.

But they also won’t be kids forever.

For some families, prioritizing these moments matters more.

Because what good is a retirement if it means sacrificing the life you care about along the way?

Most people focus on return on investment (ROI).

We try to focus on something else.

Return on life.

ROL.

The worst financial advice I've seen online: 
 
- Renting is a waste of money 
- Pay all debt first before investing 
- Spend everything now cause YOLO 
- Index Universal Life is better than a 401(k) 
- Don't increase your income so you can avoid more taxes 
- Buy [insert expense] solely because you can write it off 
- Index funds are bad because they are boring 
- Use your credit card as your e-fund 
- Never buy or lease a new car 
- Invest your e-fund 
- 401(k)s are a scam 
- All debt is bad 
 
These can either be challenged, too extreme, or just plain wrong. 
 
What might work for one person might not for another. 

What are some bad ones you've heard?

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pashman-financial-llc

schooloffinances

Your RSUs are income not investments
Your RSUs are income not investments
Your RSUs are income not investments
Your RSUs are income not investments
Your RSUs are income not investments

There's a reason it has "compensation" in equity compensation. 

It's because they are treated just like your cash. 

Don't believe me?

When they vest, check out your W2. 

It's listed right there next to your salary (your cash compensation).

They may be withheld differently, but it's taxed just the same as income when it comes to tax season.

If you leave it as is, sure it's equity that be treated as an investment. 

But the moment you get it? May as well be just like your cash compensation.

So if you don't know what to do, answer one question instead:

"If this was cash instead of equity, what would you do with it"?

Would you save it?
Would you spend it?
Would you invest it?
If you invested, where?

Your answer really dictates how you should reallocate it.

Especially based on...drum roll please*.... your goals! 

You're already taxed on it when it's fully vested.

Your choice of what to do from there.

Capital gains taxes can be your biggest ally or your worst enemy.

Here’s everything you need to know how they can affect your tax bill:

What is a Capital Gain?

It’s a tax applied when you sell an asset for a profit.

These assets can include:

-Stocks
-Crypto
-Real estate
-Businesses
-Personal property

There are two types of capital gains:

Short Term (STCG):

-> Assets held less than 1 year
-> Taxed as ordinary income

Long Term (LTCG):

-> Assets held more than 1 year
-> Taxed at preferential capital gains rates, separate from income taxes

Here’s a breakdown of the federal long-term capital gains rates for 2026:

Single:

-0%: $0–$49,450
-15%: $49,451–$545,500
-20%: $545,501+

Married Filing Jointly:

-0%: $0–$98,900
-15%: $98,901–$613,700
-20%: $613,701+

Relative to income brackets, you can see the immediate difference.

For Example (Single):

If you earned $200k and had $10k in STCG, it’s taxed as ordinary income.

Assuming a 32% marginal tax rate:

$10,000 × 32% = $3,200 in federal taxes

For $10k in LTCG, it’s taxed at the capital gains rate:

$10,000 × 15% = $1,500 in federal taxes

A huge difference!

But here’s where people mess this up:

Your capital gains rate depends on your total taxable income.

“Taxable income” is your adjusted gross income (AGI) minus below-the-line deductions (standard or itemized).

Which means those ranges include both your income AND your capital gains.

Example #1: Single, $50,000 Income, $10,000 LTCG

Total taxable income: $60,000
This puts all LTCG in the 15% bracket.
Tax:
$10,000 × 15% = $1,500 (Federal)

Example #2: Single, $30,000 Income, $10,000 LTCG

Total taxable income: $40,000
This falls entirely within the 0% bracket.
Tax:
$10,000 × 0% = $0 (Federal)

Example #3: Single, $30,000 Income, $20,000 LTCG

Total taxable income: $50,000
The income takes up the first $30,000.
Leaving $19,450 left in the 0% bracket.
$19,450 × 0% = $0

The remaining capital gains spill into the next bracket:
$550 × 15% = $82.50
-> Total LTCG tax: $82.50 (Federal)

This is why being strategic about when you realize capital gains matters.

By spreading gains over multiple years, you may take advantage of lower brackets.

Finally, remember:

Capital gains are not taxed inside tax-advantaged accounts
(e.g., 401(k)s, Roth IRAs).

That’s why most tax-loss harvesting opportunities live in taxable brokerage accounts.

Disclaimer: This is for financial education purposes only and not financial or tax advice.

"W2 employees never become millionaires."

Bulls***. I've consulted with 100s entering early retirement. 

Many were W2 employees, never actually owning a business. 

Or at least use it as a primary means of accomplishing millionaire status

They've crossed that point using the following methods:

- High savings rate towards stocks and real estate
- Equity compensation (More commonly via ISOs)

Owning a business is a massive opportunity to get there. 

And we've seen people retire early thanks to it too.

But it's not the ONLY method to create wealth.

Gotta pick that path that aligns with you.

But what do they all share in common?

Not sitting on the sidelines. 

They let investing take action. 

You earned hard for your paycheck. 

Now make it work harder for you.

Most have no clue what a write-off does.

Here's a quick breakdown of what it is:

A write-off is merely a deduction.

So use the example:

→ You get a $20,000 expense to write off
 → If your income starts at $200,000?
 → It gets lowered to $180,000
 → So what does that mean?

Here's what it does not mean:

IT DOES NOT MEAN $20,000 LESS TAXES.

A deduction does one thing:
Reduces income taxable.

In this case, a single person in 2025:
(Using only federal taxes in this example)

→ The entire $20,000 is in the 32% bracket
 → The amount taxed? $6,400 federal
 → So with the taxes saved?
 → You netted - $13,600

So yes, you saved more in taxes.

But you still spent money in the end.

It's not a dollar-for-dollar save.

It's a reduction in income taxed.

Big difference!

Note: Post is purely educational and not financial or tax advice*

You don’t need a financial planner if you’re HNW.

You just need to do the following:

- Investment planning
- Portfolio construction
- Asset allocation modeling
- Rebalancing across taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts
- Tax-aware asset location
- Capital gains management
- Tax-loss harvesting (and not violating wash sale rules)
- Multi-year tax projections
- Roth conversion timing and sizing
- AMT modeling
- Net investment income tax planning
- Equity compensation analysis (RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, ESPPs)
- 83(b) election decision modeling
- ISO AMT exposure tracking
- Concentration risk analysis
- Diversification strategy for concentrated stock
- Trading windows and blackout period planning
- Liquidity planning for large tax events
- Cash flow modeling across good and bad years
- Emergency fund optimization
- Opportunity cost analysis of excess cash
- Life insurance needs analysis
- Disability insurance review
- Umbrella liability coverage review
- ACA subsidy modeling
- Medicare planning
- Early retirement feasibility modeling
- Sequence-of-returns risk management
- Withdrawal strategy optimization
- Tax-efficient withdrawal order
- Guardrails vs fixed spending analysis
- Social Security claiming strategy
- Survivor benefit analysis
- Longevity risk modeling
- Estate planning coordination
- Beneficiary review across all accounts
- Annual exclusion tracking
- Lifetime exemption modeling
- Charitable giving strategy
- Entity structure planning considerations
- Reasonable compensation analysis
- Backdoor and Mega Backdoor Roth execution
- Exit planning scenarios
- Real estate analysis 
- Rent vs sell decision analysis
- 1031 exchange considerations
- Stress testing everything above
- Updating all of this every year
- And not panicking during market drawdowns
- And explaining it clearly to your spouse
- And actually implementing it correctly
- And staying compliant

Good luck!

A 👏 401k 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏 A 👏 SCAM 👏

Here are some interesting facts about it:

- Has higher contribution limits than an IRA
- Provides a match via an employer
- Does not have income limitations
- Can offer a Roth component
- Can provide a Mega Back Door Roth

But you're probably thinking...

"My money is trapped in here forever!"

Not really. 

Why you won't generally get penalized until you are 59 1/2, there are exceptions to this:

But there are exceptions to getting funds out early penalty-free:

- Roth Conversion Ladder
- 72(t) Withdrawals (SEPP)
- Financial hardship (if allowed)
- Qualified Reservist Distributions
- Medical expenses
- Rule of 55
- Disability
- Death
- Etc.

In other words, you can take your money out with exceptions and specific strategies.

It can be an excellent vehicle for financial independence. 

Do you have a 401k?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If you like these visuals you'll love my newsletter with more visuals like this.

Be sure to be subscribed below:

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I love it when LinkedIn Influencers are like "the new algo is hurting my reach" and I will look at their content and think yeah it's definitely not the algo bro...

Them: We're looking to get a home.

Lender: How much were you looking to borrow?

Them: Well, how much can we?

Lender: 28% of your gross income. 

Them: Awesome. Let's do it. 

......

Them: We need help. How come it feels like we are stuck? We make really good income! 

Advisor: Let's take a look at your finances.

checks it*

Advisor: Well, I've found the problem. Your mortgage is 50% of your net income.

... 

Affording a down payment doesn't mean you can afford a property.

There's more to owning than just the price:

The costs you see. 

The costs you don't see. 

Don't lose sight of them.

40% of business owners aren’t sure they picked the right entity.

Here's what you need to know about entity structure:

When choosing a tax entity, you gotta choose with what aligns with you.

Some of the characteristics include:

→ What legal protection is provided
→ Is the income earned a pass-through
→ Are there self-employment taxes 
→ How much admin is there
→ What are the tax impacts 
→ Is there double taxation
→ How much does it cost

And so on. 

Consulting with the combo between a CPA and CFP is a great way to make sure you are on the right path here!

What kind of business do you currently have?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

If you love visuals like this you'll love the weekly money visual newsletter!

Be sure to be subscribed here:

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Joe w/ $50K wants as much as Mia making $100K. 
 
Mia w/ $100K wants as much as Bob making $200K. 
 
Bob w/ $200K wants as much as Zoe making $400K. 
 
The problem? 
 
Income levels don't have a ceiling. 
 
And there are 8 billion people on this planet. 
 
So it's inevitable someone will be making more than you. 
 
Do yourself a favor and use a fair benchmark to compare to: 
 
Joe with $50K should aim to make more than Joe. 
 
Mia with $100k should aim to make more than Mia. 
 
Bob with $200K should aim to make more than Bob. 
 
Zoe with $400k shound aim to make more than Zoe. 
 
Stop basing your progress on someone else's. 
 
Want a better measurement to use? 
 
Grab a mirror and stick with it.

If your ESPP has a "look back", you're stting on a wealth hack. 

Here's the opportunity sitting in front of you. 

ESPPs are relatively simple. 

- You set aside your paycheck on a monthly basis for a period of time
- You buy your company stock at the end of the period
- Company let's you buy at a discount (usually 15%)
- The discount puts you at an immediate gain 

There some things to look out for like taxation, liquidity, and blackout periods to see how the ESPP works for you. 

But some have a provision called a "look back" period. 

The discount is applied either at the lower of the enrollment date or purchase date. 

For example:

If the enrollment price was $100 and $50 at the purchase price, the 15% is applied at the purchase price. 

If the enrollment price was $50 and $100 at the purchase price, the 15% is applied at the enrollment price. 

If the latter occurs you are looking at not only at 15% discount, but appreciation already of $50 between the $50 and $100! 

It's one of those great perks that can increase your wealth via your employer benefits. 

Don't discount the value of your company discount!

There’s a more tax-efficient way to own an index.

But is it worth it? Here’s a breakdown of direct indexing:

What is direct indexing?

It’s still passive investing.

But instead of owning an index fund, you own the individual stocks that make up the index.

Same market exposure.
Different implementation.

The goal isn’t higher returns.
The goal is tax efficiency.
Index funds are already very tax-efficient, especially ETFs.

But there’s one thing they can’t do:
They can’t pass individual stock losses to investors.

Losses inside a fund stay inside the fund.
With direct indexing, you own each stock directly.

That allows for:

Ongoing tax-loss harvesting
Offsetting capital gains
Deferring taxes while staying invested

Over time, this can increase after-tax wealth even if pre-tax returns are similar.

Some studies suggest direct indexing can add incremental after-tax value over long periods (often cited at 1%–2%), but results vary widely based on volatility, tax bracket, cash flows, and implementation.

Important tradeoffs to understand.
This strategy is not a free lunch.

Here’s what actually matters.

1) Cost

Most platforms charge roughly 0.10%–0.20%.
But additional costs may include:

Trading costs
Cash drag
Tracking error
Etc.

These reduce the net benefit and must be weighed against expected tax savings.

2) New money works best

Selling existing index funds to switch strategies often creates taxes that wipe out the benefit.

Direct indexing tends to work best with new dollars, such as:

Income
Liquidity events
Sale or acquisition proceeds
Using fresh capital avoids unnecessary tax friction.

3) Tax benefits depend on markets

The biggest advantage comes from harvesting losses, which requires volatility.

In prolonged bull markets:
Losses become harder to find
Unrealized gains accumulate

Tax benefits shift from harvesting losses to deferring gains, and eventually decline.

4) Wash sale coordination matters

Loss harvesting must be coordinated across taxable accounts, spousal accounts, and any index funds held elsewhere.

Poor coordination can reduce or eliminate the benefit.

5) You need an exit strategy

Deferred taxes eventually come due unless there’s a plan.

Is this money for retirement, charity, heirs (step-up in basis), or future liquidity?

Direct indexing works best when paired with broader tax and estate planning.

6) Benefits skew toward higher earners

The tax alpha is largest when tax rates and taxable balances are high.

For lower brackets or smaller portfolios, added cost and complexity may outweigh the benefit.

Bottom line

Direct indexing isn’t a magic upgrade.
It’s a tax optimization tool.

For the right investor, at the right time, with the right plan, it can add meaningful after-tax value.

For others, a low-cost index fund may be the better answer.

That’s why this should be a planning decision, not a product pitch.

If you’re exploring it, talk with a fee-only planner to see if it actually fits your situation.

I feel like I've seen these phases with early reitrees:

Stage 1: They fire their advisor cause they don't like performance or service
Stage 2: They do it themself and are happy with it
Stage 3: The more they research, the more they realize there's more to just investing
Stage 4: They keep getting conflicting answers to from thousands of voices online, but unsure which applies to them
Stage 5: They hire a financial planner for a second-hand opinion 

And guess what?

That new advisor is not the person trying to sell them some fancy product or performance.

It's the advisor who:

- Looks at their whole picture
- A structure to implement it
- Has an incentive to do so

I love it when people are able to handle finances on their own. 

But once you need some help?

You know where to find us.

Most people don’t actually know the tax status of their accounts.

Quick refresher 👇

Taxable Accounts:

- Individual Brokerage
- Joint Brokerage
- UTMA / UGMA

Pre-Tax Accounts:

- Traditional IRA
- SIMPLE IRA
- SEP IRA
- 403(b)
- 401(k)
- 457

Post-Tax Accounts:

- Roth IRA
- Roth 457
- Roth 401(k)
- Roth 403(b)
- Roth SEP IRA
- 529 (Could have a state deduction)

Triple-Tax:

- HSA (One of a kind)

Before worrying about returns?

Make sure you know how your money is taxed.

Which of these are you using?

If the recent 4,000 employees laid off by Block caught your attention, this is your wake-up call to revisit your emergency fund. 

Not your retirement accounts.
Not your brokerage accounts.
Not your company equity.

Your cash. 

Yeah, the boring cash loses to inflation over the long run.

But in the short run:

- Easily accessible
- Removed from market volatility
- Not taxed when withdrawn or liquidated

How much to fund is how you answer this question:

"How long can I reasonably live off my essential expenses?"

Just understand this about the stock market. 

It carries a risk of losing money, no matter how long you park it for.

But the longer you have it, the chances of that are cut significantly.

Not "eliminated", but the risk of losing money is statistically lower. 

That risk is put on full max if you need it now. 

The S&P 500 is not a viable fund in the near term. 

The asset that remains fixed near term is. 

Adjust accordingly!

Top ways early retirees pull their accounts penalty free:

- Roth conversions that have been moved after 5 years
- Distribute HSA funds backed by medical expenses
- Separation of service with a 457 plan
- Use a brokerage account
- Roth IRA contributions
- Rule of 55
- 72(t)

Alongside many more to implement. 

The question becomes which of these applies to you?

You won't know with a black and white answer. 

Find the one for you.

The Health Advocate: Health Insurance Consulting Services

I specialize in helping high-income self-employed individuals and small businesses reduce health insurance costs without sacrificing coverage quality.

✅ Private plans (not income-based)
✅ 20–30% lower premiums
✅ Nationwide PPO networks
✅ Ideal for healthy individuals/families

If you're self-employed and overpaying — I’ll help you fix that. Fast.

➤ DM me or visit https://calendly.com/thehealthadvocate

Health Insurance Consultant

Owner

1st Gen Entrepreneurs

Member

Helping Entrepreneurs Uncover Their Health Insurance Options and Find Coverage They Need Right Now | Long Term Problem Solver | Decipherer of Boring Insurance jargon

If you’re self-employed, healthy, and earning a high income — your health insurance is probably costing you too much.

Most of my clients come to me paying inflated ACA/Marketplace premiums because their income disqualifies them from subsidies. Sound familiar?

I help entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners switch to private network plans that:

Aren’t based on your income

Travel nationwide

Often save you 20–30% monthly in premiums

And give you the PPO network coverage everyone always wants

I do all the research, simplify the jargon, and guide you to a smarter, more sustainable solution — without sacrificing quality of care.

Check out my website to see if we're a good fit -> https://thehealthadvocate.co/

💬 Or just DM me “Insurance” and I’ll send the details.

Mitchell Underwood

Now this is really something 

Two different connection requests
6 hours apart

Exactly the same message 🤦‍♂️

Also, anyone else ever been told they have warrior blood by a complete stranger before?

I’m not a LinkedIn guru or anything but I feel like thats a bit much 

Filing this under “What in the automated hell” category

Anyone else seen this before?

Helping High-Income Self-Employed Save 20–40% on Health Insurance | Private Plans | No Income-Based Pricing | Nationwide Coverage

No alternative text description for this image

75 hard enthusiasts, sober living folks, etc I respect the hell out of yall, but you can skip this post 


Anyone else thinking they might crack a beer tomorrow morning for this one? 😂👀

USA vs Canada for the Gold Medal in Hockey

7 am cst. Unreal start time for such a huge game but they are playing in Milan, so 🤷🏻‍♂️

Canada boasts probably the two best players in the world in Connor McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon + maybe the most talented team overall we’ve ever seen

Yet, they’ve struggled their last two games and have come pretty close to losing

Which gives me hope the USA can pull this thing off 

If you saw their match up last year at the Four Nations, you know this game will be incredibly intense. Pic below for reference.

That said, beer or no beer, who ya got!?

I got the US winning 4-3, game winning goal scored by Brock Nelson of the one and only Colorado Avalanche

Last week, a prospect I’d spent weeks helping texted me out of nowhere.

“No thanks. Going another direction.”
 
Wouldn’t take my call.  
Wouldn’t share why.  
After nothing but good conversations and zero objections.
 
Totally blindsided me, as there was zero hint of any concerns, dissatisfaction, or uncertainty

And to be honest, this one hurt for some reason. I've developed a thick skin over the years but this one actually struck a nerve. 
 
→ Fast forward to this week.
 
A small business owner who was about to get crushed by a brutal group renewal expressed how incredibly grateful he was for my help, saying that with my help, they had dodged a bullet after I was able to restructure their benefits package and save them over 3k a month in premiums

Same job.  Same effort.  Very different outcomes.
 
That’s the self-employed world.
 
One day you’re feeling frustrated and defeated, questioning what you did wrong

The next you’re reminded of exactly why you do what you do.
 
IYKYK

Friendly reminder: you can make an impact here by simply “liking” someone’s post

Sometimes a connection of yours sees that in their feed

And it leads them to someone whose help they’ve actually been looking for 

I know because it happened to me this week

All because one of you “liked” a post of mine 

So, even if you don’t have time to comment

If you see a post that resonates, someone whose work you support - drop a like or react

Not to be nice or to give them an ego boost 

But because it just might actually get them a client

2 ways self-employed people get blindsided by rising health insurance costs and how to avoid it
 
If you’re self-employed, your income isn’t static.
 
And that’s exactly where problems start.
 
 
1️⃣  Success can make your premiums explode
 
Year 1 in business?  Maybe you qualified for a large ACA tax credit.
 
Your family’s premium might have been:  
→ $0  
→ $100/month  
→ Very affordable
 
But Year 2?
 
Revenue grows.  
You update your projected income.  
The subsidy shrinks.... or disappears entirely.
 
And suddenly…
 
That $100/month plan becomes $1,300/month.
 
I’ve seen it happen.
 
Because ACA subsidies are income-based, the more you make, the less help you get. If you cross certain thresholds, you’re paying full price and that price isn’t small.
 
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲:
 
If you don’t qualify for subsidies (or won’t next year), it may be time to evaluate private PPO options outside the Marketplace.
 
For healthy families without pre-existing conditions, private coverage can often run 20–30% less than an unsubsidized ACA plan - sometimes with better networks and lower deductibles.
 
The key is being proactive before your renewal hits.
 
 
2️⃣ Auto-renew can create a tax bomb
 
This one is sneaky.
 
If your Marketplace plan auto-renews and you don’t update your income, the system may use last year’s income projection.
 
If you made significantly more this year but kept receiving advance premium tax credits…
 
You could owe that money back.
 
All of it.
 
I’ve seen five-figure repayment bills.
 
Imagine thinking your coverage was “cheap” all year…  Only to get hit with a $15,000–$20,000 tax bill because you unknowingly took subsidies you didn’t qualify for.
 
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:
 
→ Always update your income projection with the Marketplace  
→ Don’t assume auto-renew means “everything is handled”  
→ Recalculate what your real premium should be  
→ If the updated premium is no longer affordable, explore alternatives
 
 
The bottom line:
 
When you’re self-employed, your health insurance costs are directly tied to your income decisions.
 
And your success could come with a lot of unforeseen costs if you aren't prepared or know how to navigate the health insurance landscape

If your income is growing or you feel you're definitely underpaying based on what you're bringing in each month, it’s worth reviewing your situation before tax season does it for you.
 
Because the worst surprises in this industry don’t happen during enrollment.
 
They happen when you file your taxes.

Texting a prospect and my phone just auto corrected “take you through the application” to “take you through the apocalypse” 

Which is kind of fitting for our healthcare system, to be fair 😂😂😂

So yeah, dont go through it alone, work with a pro - Ive seen it all 

That’s all I got today, stay safe out there yall ✌️

“I figured it would be like $500-$600 a month. $1300? WTF”

Sadly, many who leave their employer under estimate the cost of health insurance and end up feeling like this 

Stunned. Shocked. 
Highly annoyed - to put it lightly

They didn’t realize just how much their employer was subsidizing the cost of their plan

Until they saw their COBRA rate or shopped their Marketplace options 

And got gut punched by reality

Which is exactly why I recommend speaking to someone about your situation BEFORE you put in your two weeks and decide to make that leap


—> Yet, it always depends. This isn’t always the case

Because for every person that’s been hit with sticker shock

There are just as many I’ve encountered that are pleasantly surprised 

Who thought their family plan could be 2k/month and are perfectly ok with $900-$1200

Or even better - a family planning for a low income first year in business finding out they qualify for a tax credit to bring down the cost of their premium dramatically…from a few hundred a month to even $0/month

—> How to know where you’ll land? Or what the best fit is?

You could google it for a while and get some idea, poke around in the dirt, maybe make some mistakes

Or you can get straight to the point and send me a DM. 

There are many different variables to consider(Health, income, age, timing, qualifying events, etc) and I can help you make sense of all of it, quick

And get straight to the point 

During 1 short conversation 

“Based on what you’ve told me, this is what you can expect. These are what types of options you can explore. This is around what they will cost” 

Vs trying to figure it out on your own. 

Or worse, pulling the trigger without knowing and getting gut punched with surprises. 

If you have any questions, send me a DM.

You woke up without a job... not because you lost it, but because you bet on yourself.
 
You open your eyes.
 
6:00 AM.
 
For a split second, your body expects the old routine. The alarm. The rush. The commute. The meetings.
 
But then you remember…
 
You don’t have to be anywhere.
 
No boss.  No clock-in time.  No one watching.
 
You lie there for a minute longer than usual.  Freedom feels good.
 
And then it hits you.
 
Your paycheck isn’t guaranteed anymore either. 
 
No direct deposit every two weeks.  No HR department.  No employer-sponsored health plan quietly covering you in the background.
 
That coverage? It ends at the end of the month.
 
And now it’s on you.
 
This is the part no one talks about when you go self-employed.
 
You prepare for revenue swings.  You prepare to sell.  You prepare to market yourself.
 
But most people don’t prepare for navigating health insurance alone.
 
You quickly realize:
 
→ The plan you had through work was heavily subsidized  
→ The marketplace premiums are higher than you expected  
→ The networks look… different  
→ And suddenly you’re responsible for protecting your income, your health, and your family
 
This is where excitement can quietly turn into stress. 

And many people come to me this way, worried and unsure of what's next when it comes to health coverage, almost second guessing if they put the cart before the horse. 

HMO? PPO? EPO?
Premium Tax Credits?
Projected household income? Based on what? 

So many of these questions and more flood your brain the moment you actually start to look and to be frank, it is absolutely overwhelming. 

But I don't believe that being self employed should mean settling for confusing, overpriced coverage or crossing your fingers and hoping nothing happens.
 
It just means the strategy changes.
 
And that’s where I come in.
 
You bet on yourself.
 
Now let’s make sure you’re protected like someone who did. 

Send a DM if you're tired of dealing with this monkey business alone and just want good, affordable coverage that you can actually understand for once.

taplio

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Max Pashman, CFP®

Mitchell Underwood

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taplio

The Battle

Max Pashman, CFP®

Mitchell Underwood

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Max Pashman, CFP®'s LinkedIn Performance

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