Meridian Resources

What You’ll Learn

Retirement Plan Optimization

Your employer-sponsored retirement plan likely offers more flexibility than you’re using. This section covers how to evaluate your current investment options and allocations relative to your risk tolerance and goals, how to allocate contributions across pre-tax, after-tax (non-Roth), and Roth options, and how to take advantage of in-plan Roth conversions or Mega Backdoor Roth opportunities if your plan permits them. It also addresses catch-up contributions, employer match maximization, vesting schedules, loan and hardship withdrawal implications, and whether rolling in an old employer plan could open up Backdoor Roth IRA opportunities.

Medical Insurance and Health Savings Accounts

Choosing the right employer-sponsored health plan involves balancing your age, health, income, and cash flow needs across high-deductible and low-deductible options. If you have a spouse or dependents, the checklist prompts a detailed cost comparison between your employer’s plan and any coverage they already have. For employees enrolled in an HSA-eligible HDHP, this section covers how to use the HSA as a long-term savings tool — coordinating the triple tax advantage of pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free medical expense reimbursements with your overall financial plan. FSA and HRA considerations, including “use-it-or-lose-it” FSA rules and HRA portability issues, are also addressed.

Life and Disability Insurance Through Your Employer

Employer group life insurance can be convenient — particularly for employees with health issues — because it generally doesn’t require individual underwriting. However, portability is a concern: if your health changes or you leave your job, re-insurability may be difficult. The checklist walks through how to evaluate whether coverage amounts are adequate for your needs and how to compare the cost of an employer-sponsored policy against a personally owned one. For disability insurance, you’ll review how employer-paid premiums affect the taxability of benefits, the importance of the plan’s definition of disability relative to your occupation, and how to coordinate your emergency fund with the plan’s elimination period.

Equity Compensation and Other Fringe Benefits

If your employer grants ISOs, NQSOs, or RSUs, understanding your plan documents, vesting schedules, tax implications, holding periods, and clawback provisions is fundamental to capturing the full value of your equity compensation. The checklist also prompts a review of fringe benefits that employees frequently overlook — including student loan assistance, legal services, travel benefits, fitness reimbursement, fertility benefits, parental leave, and mental health counseling. Leveraging these fully before paying for them out-of-pocket is a straightforward way to maximize your total compensation.