Employee Stock Ownership Plans

Implementing and growing successful ESOPs that drive employee engagement through an active ownership culture.

How ESOP Plans Work

Employee Stock Ownership Plans allow your employees to share in your company’s growth and wealth creation, providing your organization with a distinctive recruiting tool and driving increased employee retention. Whether you’re looking to start an ESOP or have been employee owned for decades, Cerity Partners’ team of financial advisors specialize in ESOP advisory and are here to help you and your employees make the most of this unique company benefit and help grow your business.

ESOP employees have a direct interest in the long-term direction and outcome of an organization. Instilling an ownership mindset through ongoing ESOP education builds an incentive for positive behaviors, improved performance, and higher employee retention. When people feel like owners, they act like owners.”
Angie Morrison, CPA, Partner

Building an Ownership Culture

ESOP Education

Ensure your employees understand Employee Stock Ownership Plan functionality and the annual participant statements. Connect individual performance directly to the ESOP value and participant account growth.

Leadership Training

Equip your company’s leadership with a plan that maximizes your ESOP benefit as an effective recruitment and retention tool. Develop a participative management plan to drive excitement and engagement.

Financial Wellness

Establish a culture of financial wellness with group and individual consultations for every stage of life. Provide retirement readiness education customized to your ESOP and 401(k) plans.

Financial Planning and Strategies

Owner and Participant Financial Planning

Wealth management and advisory services for the selling owner. Tax planning strategies relating to the equity sale and the ESOP structure. Financial planning services for outgoing ESOP participants.

Investment Management (DRAFT)

Enlist a team of ESOP advisory professionals to manage your trust’s investments and prepare for repurchase obligations and planning needs.

Business Strategy

Evaluate your Employee Stock Ownership Plans’ impact on financial statements, tax planning, and future cash flows so that you can anticipate future needs. Assist with financing requirements for ESOP implementations and future stock purchases.

Is an ESOP Right for You?

Our team of ESOP advisors can help you evaluate your current and long-term goals to decide if an Employee Stock Ownership Plan is right for you. We are well-equipped to discuss other equity and compensation alternatives that may better fit your needs concerning employee retention, succession planning, and owner exit planning.

Meet the Team

Angie Morrison

Partner

Jim Trujillo

Principal

Explore all of our Retirement Plan Consulting services

Defined Benefit Plans >

Our retirement plan consultants understand the intricacies of managing active, frozen, and terminating defined benefit plans. They work closely with you to develop a course of action to mitigate risk, reduce costs, and drive better results.

Defined Contribution Services >

With increasing attention focused on fiduciary roles and responsibilities, maintaining a sound retirement plan is more important than ever before. We help you measure five critical dimensions of plan success to increase your plan’s effectiveness and the retirement readiness of your employees.

Nonqualified Plan Management >

We work with your board of directors, HR, and executive compensation teams to develop powerful nonqualified plan solutions that positively impact your recruitment, retention, and bottom line.

The Cerity Partners Pooled Employer Plan >

A retirement plan benefit, without the retirement plan hassle. Provide a retirement plan benefit for your employees, that also makes sense for your business.