“So, what do you actually do?”
This is the most common question I get from people who have read a few of my articles or know that I’m an advisor.
Over time, I’ve realized that most people have a limited understanding of what a financial advisor can actually help them with.
This is at no fault of their own, as the role of a financial advisor has changed significantly over the years. Back in the day, “advisors” were little more than stockbrokers collecting commissions whenever a trade was placed. Over time, they expanded into more holistic financial advice.
Kraft Capital has taken this a step further by offering a true comprehensive relationship: financial planning, investment management, and year-round tax planning & preparation, all under one roof.
In this article, I will expand a little more on things we help clients with every day.
Financial Planning
At the core of everything that we do sits our clients’ comprehensive financial plan. It serves as a guide for how we plan to achieve your short & long-term goals in the most optimal way possible. We do this by running extremely detailed financial simulations that account for the best & worst market conditions so that we are able to plan for the future without trying to predict it exactly.
Here is a list of things that we help clients with by creating a financial plan:
Switching Jobs / Maximizing Employer Benefits
We help clients get the most out of their employer benefits and compensation plans by using our tax expertise to maximize opportunities in 401(k), 403(b), 457, TSP, stock options, profit-sharing arrangements, ESOPs, SARs, healthcare benefits, and more.
Retirement Planning
We help clients determine when they can stop working and how much they can safely spend during retirement. Whether your goal is to enjoy your savings to the fullest while you’re alive or pass a large nest egg to your heirs, we devise a strategy to make it happen, while minimizing taxes every step of the way.
Funding College / Dealing with Student Loans
We help clients choose the most tax-efficient way to save for college, whether that’s through 529 plans, custodial accounts, or other strategies. For those already carrying student debt, we create repayment strategies that take advantage of forgiveness programs, refinancing opportunities, and tax benefits to minimize lifetime interest and payments.
Handling an Inheritance & Multi-Generational Estate Planning
Receiving an inheritance can be overwhelming. We guide clients through the process, from understanding tax implications to properly investing or distributing the assets, while making sure the money fits seamlessly into their overall financial plan. We also help clients create and implement their own estate and legacy plans to ensure their wealth is transferred smoothly, tax-efficiently, and in alignment with their values. This includes setting up trusts, wills, POAs, and planning for future generations so that your assets benefit the people and causes you care about most.
Purchasing Real Estate
Whether it’s a primary residence, vacation home, or investment property, we help clients evaluate the financial impact, choose the right financing, and explore tax-savings opportunities in a way that aligns with their long-term goals.
Structuring the Exit / Sale / Transfer of Your Business
For business owners, we help design exit strategies that maximize value, minimize taxes, and ensure a smooth transition, whether you’re selling to a third party, transferring to family, or implementing an internal succession plan.
Optimizing Social Security & Health Insurance
We help you determine the ideal time to claim Social Security and coordinate it with other income sources to maximize lifetime benefits. We also evaluate health insurance options, such as Medicare, ACA plans, COBRA, and employer coverage, to find the most cost-effective approach for your situation.
Investment Management
Before I dive deeper into investments, I would like to go over 3 things that Kraft Capital is NOT: a hedge fund, stock pickers, or stockbrokers.
We don’t try to time the market. We don’t invest in a bunch of risky individual stocks. And we NEVER earn commissions on any trades we place.
Our investment philosophy is rooted in long-term historical data. We focus on capturing the returns of asset classes that have proven themselves across multiple market cycles and economic environments.
Every portfolio we build is customized to each client, reflecting both your capacity for risk and your optimal tax outcome. We start by establishing target allocations for each asset class, then select low-cost, high-quality funds from reputable managers to implement the strategy.
We’re not in the business of chasing fads. Instead, we aim to capture market returns in the most efficient way possible, while emphasizing certain parts of the market that have shown superior long-term performance: smaller companies, value-oriented stocks, higher-quality businesses, and companies with strong recent momentum.
Types of accounts we work with clients to manage:
- Roth & Traditional IRA
- Rollover & Inherited IRA
- Brokerage
- 401k/403b/457/TSP/ESOP/SARs and other executive comp plans
- Trust Accounts
- Custodial accounts for minors
- 529 plans
- Annuities
- Private investments/LP partnerships
Tax Planning & Preparation
Taxes touch almost every financial decision you make, yet most people only think about them once a year. At Kraft Capital, tax planning is integrated into everything we do, year-round. We look for ways to reduce your lifetime tax bill, not just this year’s return.
This means strategies like:
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Optimizing how your investments are structured
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Strategically realizing gains or losses
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Timing retirement account withdrawals for maximum efficiency
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Coordinating a real estate sale/purchase or business income with future personal goals
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Taking advantage of specific deductions, credits, and deferrals before year-end
When tax season rolls around, we prepare and file your return in-house. This way, the person giving you tax advice is the same person actually implementing it, ensuring nothing gets lost in translation between your planner and your preparer. When you work with us, you’ll never hear the words “talk to your CPA” from your advisor again.
Final Thoughts
What we do for clients goes far beyond picking investments or filling out tax forms. Our role is to act as your personal CFO: someone who understands the full picture of your finances, keeps you on track toward your goals, and makes sure every decision is made with confidence.
That means we’re not just reacting to changes, we’re anticipating them. We’re thinking about how today’s decisions will affect you in five, ten, or twenty years. We’re watching for opportunities you might not see and risks you might not recognize, and we’re making sure both are addressed before they become urgent.
When you work with Kraft Capital, you get more than a plan: you get a partner who knows your priorities, your values, and your long-term vision. We take the time to understand what matters most to you and structure your financial life so it supports those priorities in the most efficient way possible.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have someone managing your financial life with the same care and attention they’d give their own, that’s exactly what we offer. It’s a relationship built on trust, transparency, and an unwavering focus on your best interests, year after year. And as your life evolves, so will our strategies, ensuring your plan always reflects where you are and where you want to go.
– Clint Kraft
Founder and Financial Advisor, Kraft Capital