The EP Wealth Advisors FAQ clarifies how wealth management coordinates company sales, succession timing, and multi-generational family legacies for business owners across the country. Below, we address asset minimums, portfolio oversight, and practical transition steps.
Common questions
Do I qualify for EP Wealth Advisors wealth management if most of my net worth is still tied up in my business?
Yes, provided you hold at least $500K in investable assets outside the company or will cross that benchmark through an upcoming transaction. EP Wealth Advisors maintains a $500,000 portfolio minimum to establish advisory services. If your current liquid savings are below that mark but an impending equity buyout fulfills the requirement, our team evaluates the transaction schedule with you beforehand.
How many business owners and families currently work with EP Wealth Advisors?
EP Wealth Advisors serves 390,000 clients and manages $6.8 billion in client assets as of 10/5/2026 across the country. Many of these clients are founders, partners, and multi-generational families balancing enterprise equity with personal holdings. Our national scale provides the operational infrastructure needed to support complex succession transitions, family gifting structures, and post-sale liquidity strategies.
How far in advance of selling a private company should an owner coordinate with EP Wealth Advisors?
You should begin coordination at least 18 to 24 months before executing a formal letter of intent. Early planning allows EP Wealth Advisors to evaluate pre-sale entity structuring, gift non-voting units to heirs at a discounted appraisal, and set aside cash flow reserves. Waiting until closing leaves little room to restructure equity or mitigate substantial state and federal tax liabilities.
Can a business owner outside Colorado meet with EP Wealth Advisors to review succession plans?
Yes, founders and executives nationwide confer with EP Wealth Advisors through secure video conferences or scheduled phone calls. While our physical office is located at 1844 Folsom Street in Boulder, Colorado, our advisory staff regularly counsels business families situated in other states. Documents, valuation reports, and estate blueprints are exchanged digitally without requiring travel.
How does EP Wealth Advisors bill for managing liquidity after a company sale?
Advisory fees are billed as a transparent percentage of assets under management, clearly detailed in our formal fee schedule prior to onboarding. EP Wealth Advisors never charges hidden commissions or product-placement surcharges. Every cost is documented clearly on paper before managing any liquidation proceeds, so families know precisely what portfolio oversight costs every calendar quarter.
What initial steps follow submitting the contact form on the EP Wealth Advisors website?
An introductory call is scheduled within two business days to review your company transition timeline and financial background. During this introductory discussion, we explore your family legacy goals and verify our $500K minimum fits your asset base. If both sides agree to proceed, a second meeting evaluates your tax returns, operating agreements, and investment statements.
When are advisors available to discuss succession and estate paperwork?
Meetings at EP Wealth Advisors occur by appointment during standard business days, arranged around executive schedules. Because founders often juggle daily operations alongside legal reviews, appointments can be booked via video or phone at convenient intervals. This structure ensures your advisor dedicates uninterrupted time to review buy-sell agreements or family balance sheets thoroughly.
How often will our family receive portfolio updates and tax reports from EP Wealth Advisors?
Families receive quarterly performance reports and participate in formal semi-annual strategy reviews. EP Wealth Advisors also provides an annual tax packet containing consolidated 1099 figures and realized gains summaries to simplify your CPA's April filings. Additional check-ins happen whenever significant life events, liquidity payouts, or statutory tax changes occur.
What happens to our family's liquid reserves during a severe stock market downturn?
We construct dedicated short-term liquidity buffers holding two to three years of living expenses in short-duration bonds or cash alternatives. This barrier prevents selling depressed equities during unexpected bear markets. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal, but maintaining dedicated cash buckets ensures you can cover distributions without dismantling your family's core long-term equity strategy.
Where are investment accounts held once business sale proceeds are transferred?
Client assets are typically held at an independent custodian, such as a major national trust bank or brokerage firm, rather than at an advisory office. You retain legal title and receive monthly statements directly from the custodian. Advisors direct trades and manage allocations only under limited trading authority authorized in writing by you.
How do former owners replace a six-figure executive salary after stepping down from their business?
A coordinated distribution calendar replaces executive payroll by systematically drawing across dividend yield, taxable interest, and systematic share redemptions. For example, a hypothetical $3,000,000 post-sale portfolio structured for a 4% annual payout distributes $10,000 monthly straight to your checking account. That predictable baseline supports retirement lifestyle needs while leaving remaining capital invested to counteract long-term inflation.
How does EP Wealth Advisors help reduce the capital gains hit on an enterprise sale?
EP Wealth Advisors works with your CPA and deal attorney to model asset sale versus stock sale outcomes across federal and state tax rates. Strategies may include spacing installment sale proceeds over multiple calendar years, funding charitable remainder unitrusts, or harvesting capital losses to offset transaction windfalls. We run projections before contracts close to preserve family net worth.
Can EP Wealth Advisors help transfer company shares to adult children without triggering gift taxes?
We coordinate with your estate attorney to use tools like valuation discounts on non-voting shares and the annual gift tax exclusion. For instance, in 2026, two married founders can together transfer up to $38,000 per year per recipient without tapping their lifetime basic exclusion. Pairing annual gifts with family limited partnerships transfers future business growth outside the taxable gross estate.
Why shouldn't a business founder simply park company exit proceeds in an automated robo-advisor platform?
Automated algorithms allocate index funds based on generic risk questionnaires, but they cannot evaluate a 50-page purchase agreement or structure irrevocable trusts for children. EP Wealth Advisors addresses complex multi-layer priorities: coordinating distributions with estate planning documents, supporting aging parents, and managing uneven liquidity earn-outs that mechanical software programs are not equipped to handle.
What is the procedure if a family decides to terminate services with EP Wealth Advisors?
You can cancel services at any time without paying contract termination penalties. EP Wealth Advisors assists with transferring accounts to your newly selected institution via standard ACATS transfer paperwork. Any prepaid management fees covering unused days in the billing period are prorated and returned directly to your account.