Starting a new job is an exciting and important accomplishment. After landing a new opportunity, it feels so good to take some time to celebrate and run a victory lap before starting that new role. Especially because once you start your new job, suddenly things feel as busy as ever, with little time left to manage real life “to do’s” that inevitably pile up.
While some of those things can wait, others you really do want to stay on top of (fortunately, a financial advisor can help with each of these). So what are the most important “to do’s” to tackle when starting a new job? We’ve got the checklist for you here:
Keep an eye on your 401(k) contributions – if you fully contribute to your 401(k) plan, that’s an excellent way to prepare for retirement as well as reduce your current year tax bill. However, when you change jobs, you’ll also want to be sure that you don’t overcontribute and end up being hit with a tax penalty for exceeding the annual contribution limit, because employers don’t communicate with one another about how much you’ve contributed that year.
Rollover your 401(k) – one common trap that people fall into after leaving a job is that they often leave their 401(k) account with their former employer unattended for an extended period of time. Hard-earned savings should never be left unattended because that’s not the ideal way to grow your portfolio towards retirement. Remember, gather retirement assets, not (unattended) retirement accounts.
Consider what to do with your existing stock options – after departing from your former employer, it’s likely that you’ll have a limited window of time to exercise any vested stock options before they expire. If you believe in the financial future of the company and have the cash on hand to exercise your options (or cashless exercise is allowed), you don’t want to let an opportunity like this go to waste. If you’re at a public company, you’ll also want to know when blackout periods for trading will no longer apply.
Get things in order with any new stock options – make sure you receive a copy of your new stock grant and the shareholder plan. When you’ve recently come on board is an ideal time to make sure your grant actually is created, and this also avoids having to go to HR later on with urgency to get your info (hint: don’t tip off your employer that you’re considering moving to a new job, and don’t miss out and not actually get your stock).
Update your financial plan – have a plan for what to do for your increase in pay. Bank deposits have near-zero interest rates, so you’ll want to have a plan in place to continue to grow your money ahead of inflation. This is also a good time to revisit financial goals that may have been on the backburner, such as buying a home.
If you’ve recently changed jobs and have questions about changes you should be considering, or how to handle former employer 401(k)s and stock options, pick a time for a quick phone consultation.
This blog was written by Jeremy Bohne, Principal & Founder of Paceline Wealth Management. Paceline is a fee-only investment advisor serving clients in the Boston area, and on a remote basis throughout the country. Paceline specializes in helping tech and biotech executives, physicians, and those seeking financial planning services.