The Five Questions To Be Asking At Rung 6

You exited the business. Has your financial plan caught up yet?

So here’s something we see all the time running BuiltWealth™.

Somebody builds a business over 35 years, does the hard thing, sells it or steps back or hands it to the next generation. Everyone congratulates them. But six months later, something feels off. Not wrong, exactly. Just unfinished. Like the plan they’ve got was built for a version of their life that doesn’t exist anymore.

If that sounds familiar, these five questions are for you. No quiz, no score. Just the questions we’ve learned to ask at Rung 6 (Freedom with Focus) The ones that tend to reveal the blind spots nobody else is bringing up.

1. Does your current advisor know what your life actually looks like now?

When you were running the business, your financial advisor’s job revolved around that business: cash flow, tax strategy, payroll, reinvestment. But now your Tuesday morning is completely different. 

Maybe now it’s coffee on the porch with a good book. Or driving the grandkids to school. Or waking up in another country, finally travelling like you always dreamed of.

The question is: has the advisory relationship changed shape to match the life you’re living now? 

Or are you still getting the same quarterly call with the same portfolio review? 

Most advisors never make that shift. Most clients never ask them to.

2. Could your family explain your financial plan without you in the room?

This one hits hardest. We’ve sat across from hundreds of clients who built everything themselves and kept the whole financial picture in their own head. That worked when the business was running. It doesn’t work anymore.

If your spouse couldn’t sit down tomorrow and explain what you have, where it is, and what the plan is, that’s not a filing problem. That’s a gap. 

Your family doesn’t need to become financial experts, but they need to be in the room. We ensure they’re part of the conversations and planning process, because they’re part of the life you’re living and dreams you’re realizing.

3. Has your tax strategy actually changed, or just your income?

When you exit, everything shifts. But a lot of post-exit business owners are still running the same tax playbook from when the company was operating. The accountant hasn’t changed. The approach hasn’t changed. Only the numbers changed.

This is where we see that gap show up most. It’s not that people are making mistakes. It’s that nobody prompted them to ask whether the old strategy still fits the new reality.

4. Do you know the difference between what you have and what you need?

Some post-exit builders overestimate what they need and sit on everything anxiously, afraid to spend it or share it or enjoy it. Others underestimate what they built and keep living like the money might run out tomorrow. We often find ourselves helping clients spend in their post-exit life, and are happy to field calls asking if the new flooring is possible or an education fund can grow faster. 

The hesitation is common, our support is constant. Because the gap between what you have and what you need is where your freedom lives. 

If nobody has helped you see that clearly, with real numbers, not just a portfolio statement, you’re making decisions in the dark.

5. If you had to describe your financial plan in one sentence, could you?

Not your portfolio allocation. Not your advisor’s name. Your plan. 

In 1 sentence. 

If you can say it clearly, good. You’re probably in a good spot. 

If you can’t, that’s the clearest sign we know that the plan isn’t really a plan yet. It’s a collection of accounts and a hope that it works out.

One more thing.

If more than one of these made you pause, that pause is worth paying attention to. These questions come from Rung 6 of our BuiltWealth Ladder, where we spend a lot of time with people who’ve already done the hardest part: building something real. 

The work at Rung 6 isn’t about building more. It’s about making sure what you built is actually working for you and your family now.

So here’s what we’d ask: forward this to your spouse or your advisor See if they answer these the same way you did. That conversation, even five minutes over coffee, is worth more than most quarterly portfolio reviews.

Would you like to see the full BuiltWealth Ladder, and what comes next? Download your complimentary guide here: https://hfmadvisors.com/guide/

Interested in how this works? Let’s talk. 

Book a JobWalk with me and we can start the conversation.

Interested in other Rungs? Check out:

• The full Ladder here or the audio edition here

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HFM Investment Advisors, LLC is a registered investment adviser. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. All investments involve risk and are not guaranteed. Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives and is not intended as a recommendation appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment advisor to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.