If you’re a successful business owner, you’ve likely done the hard part: built something profitable, accumulated assets, and taken care of your family. But what most business owners don’t realize is how much of their wealth is silently slipping through the cracks—lost to taxes, poor transitions, outdated legal documents, or uncoordinated advice.
At Return on Life, we’ve developed a proven framework to address these issues head-on. We call it the Return on Life Playbook, and it’s designed to align your wealth with your values, minimize tax, and protect your legacy.
Here are the five most common problems we help business owners solve—and how we fix them:
Siloed Professionals Giving Disconnected Advice
You have a great accountant. A solid lawyer. A trusted advisor. But if they’re not working together, your plan is incomplete—and you’re the one caught in the middle.
The Risk: Strategies that contradict, gaps that cost you, or opportunities that go unseen.
Our Fix: We act as your quarterback, coordinating all your professionals under one unified strategy. Your tax, legal, insurance, and investment plans all pull in the same direction.
No Strategy to Extract Corporate Funds Tax-Efficiently
Your corporation has built up value—but how do you get it into your hands without triggering a tax avalanche?
The Risk: Paying 40–50% tax on retained earnings or using inefficient methods like bonuses or dividends.
Our Fix: We design extraction strategies using the Capital Dividend Account (CDA), corporate-owned life insurance, and charitable giving—getting money out of your business with little or no tax.
No Plan for Major Transitions—Retirement, Sale, or Partner Exit
Every business changes. Whether it’s retirement, selling, or a partner moving on, transitions come with risk.
The Risk: Tax-heavy exits, family or partner conflict, or a drop in business value at the wrong time.
Our Fix: We help you plan for succession, manage control shifts, and prepare financially and legally—ensuring transitions are smooth, tax-efficient, and aligned with your bigger picture.
Outdated or Missing Wills and Legal Documents
Your financial plan is only as strong as your legal foundation. Without updated wills, POAs, or shareholder agreements, everything can unravel.
The Risk: Probate delays, unintended beneficiaries, or legal fights that drain your estate.
Our Fix: We review your documents in the context of your current goals and family dynamics—and collaborate with trusted legal professionals to update and implement what’s needed.
Missing the Opportunity to Give Charitably and Reduce Taxes
Many business owners give generously—but inefficiently. Cash donations miss out on the best tax advantages.
The Risk: Missed capital gains elimination, smaller donation impact, and higher personal or corporate tax bills.
Our Fix: We help you donate appreciated securities, set up donor-advised funds, and time gifts around liquidity events—so you can give more while paying less tax.
The Return on Life Advantage
This isn’t just financial planning. It’s life alignment.
- Gain clarity around what matters most
- Build a tax-smart, purpose-driven financial strategy
- Coordinate your full team of professionals
- Transition wealth and values—without disruption
If you’ve built your success, we’ll help you protect it—and turn it into lasting significance.
