Do you work at American Airlines?
Get expert insights from financial advisors who specialize in helping American Airlines employees and executives make the most of their compensation package and benefits.
Looking for a financial advisor who specializes in working with American Airlines employees? You’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find advisors who understand American Airlines benefits and compensation — along with their answers to common financial questions from American Airlines employees and executives.
Whether you recently joined American Airlines or you’ve advanced into a management or executive leadership role over a multi-year career, making smart decisions about your income and American Airlines benefits can have a lasting impact on your financial future. For example:
✅ Do you know the right moves to get the greatest value from the American Airlines benefits available to you?
✅ If you’re thinking about leaving American Airlines for another job or planning to retire in a few years, are you taking the right steps today to receive all the compensation and benefits you’ve earned?
Key Takeaways
Health Savings Accounts Are American Airlines Employees’ Most Underused Benefit
The advisor below sees HSAs as the benefit employees most often leave on the table, either because they don’t understand the tax advantages or because they aren’t contributing enough. The Roth 401(k) and 401(k) asset allocation are close behind.
Cover Health and Life Insurance Gaps Before Leaving American Airlines
A gap in health coverage between jobs can leave you exposed to large medical bills, and group life insurance doesn’t follow you out the door. Before resigning, arrange replacement coverage and decide whether to roll your 401(k) into an IRA or another plan.
Give Every 401(k) Dollar a Purpose
Saving a set percentage because it feels like the right thing to do isn’t the same as saving toward a defined goal. The advisor below starts with what retirement should look like, then optimizes contributions and tax allocation to match it.
Why American Airlines Employees Work with a Specialist Financial Advisor
Throughout the year, American Airlines provides its employees and executives with updates about their benefits, ranging from health insurance and health savings accounts to retirement plans like a 401(k) with a Roth option and, for eligible leaders, a deferred compensation plan — along with travel privileges and, for some employees, equity awards. While the company offers many useful resources and access to knowledgeable staff who can assist with questions, you’ll also find financial professionals not affiliated with American Airlines who specialize in helping American Airlines employees make the most of their income and benefits.
American Airlines is headquartered at its Skyview campus in Fort Worth, Texas, next to its largest hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Its employees are also concentrated at major hubs including Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix, New York, and Washington, D.C. Whether you work at a hub, in a crew base, at headquarters, or remotely from home, you may have questions about your compensation package and benefits better suited for a financial professional who can offer unbiased advice and guidance.
Sensitive topics — like the steps you should take before quitting your job at American Airlines to work elsewhere, protecting yourself in advance of a corporate layoff, or deciding when you should plan to retire — are all conversations that may be more comfortable with a trusted financial advisor.
Should You Hire an American Airlines Specialist or a Local Financial Advisor?
You’ll likely find dozens of nearby financial advisors well-suited to help you reach your money goals with a personalized plan. But it can be harder to find a financial advisor who specializes in serving American Airlines employees. Fortunately, many financial advisors offer virtual services, so you can meet online no matter where you (or they) live — which means you can hire a specialist financial advisor who lives hundreds of miles away if their knowledge and experience working with American Airlines employees is the better fit for your unique needs.
💡 In the Q&A below, you’ll gain insights from financial advisors who work with American Airlines employees to help them make smart decisions, get the most value from their compensation and benefits, reduce their money stress, and prepare for a comfortable retirement.
🙋♀️ Have a question not yet answered? Use the form below to submit your question. You can also contact financial advisors directly to set up an introductory call or contact them with your questions.
Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for American Airlines Employees & Executives
In this section, you’ll learn how you can make the most of your American Airlines employee benefits and gain valuable tips from financial advisors who specialize in working with American Airlines employees and executives.
Financial Advisor Q&A · American Airlines Employees
Nick O’Kelly, CFP®, RICP®
Cadence Wealth Partners · Weddington, NC · Serves clients nationwide
Wealth Advisor for High-Income Veterans | Green Beret | Night StalkerNick O’Kelly is a financial advisor based in Weddington, North Carolina who specializes in offering financial planning services to American Airlines employees. Nick helps his clients get the most value from their American Airlines benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.
QAs a financial advisor with experience helping American Airlines employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?
In my experience, many employees don’t allocate funds for a purpose. For example, someone may save 5% into their 401k, but they do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do instead of doing it because it will help them achieve their goals. It’s not always about maximizing retirement benefits, but more about optimizing them to help them achieve the future lifestyle they desire.
Another major factor is tax allocation and being intentional in that realm as well. Having a reason why we do something allows us to continue doing it and reinforces the why behind a decision.
QWhen you first speak with an American Airlines employee, what questions do you like to ask to better understand their unique circumstances and determine how you can best help them achieve their goals?
The initial conversion is what I like to call a Vision Meeting. It is where I ask questions to build the employees “why”. If you didn’t have to work for money, how would you spend your time? Then, the important part of that question is to follow up with asking why. This allows the employee to be introspective and get to the core of who they are and who they want to be. Money is a tool that is for us to live our lives.
QIs there a particular benefit available to American Airlines employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?
There are 3 that come to mind:
- Health Savings Accounts are the most underutilized benefit available to employees. They either don’t understand the significant tax benefits of building up their HSA, or they aren’t maximizing the opportunity.
- Roth 401k. Many times an employee will have access to a Roth 401k but they are unsure how/if it affects their employer match so they simply won’t allocate money to it.
- Asset allocation within a 401k. Many employees lack the time to do their own research and allocate their portfolio to align with their long-term goals and time horizon.
QBeyond American Airlines employee benefits for retirement savings, are there other types of benefits offered by the company that you find valuable to discuss with your clients?
I mentioned the Health Savings Account, but on top of that many employers offer benefits such as free estate planning, different healthcare plan options, and scholarship opportunities for their children. Many of these are overlooked because employees are handed a huge booklet of benefits and rarely take the time to read through them.
QFor American Airlines employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?
Ensure they cover the gap of employment for their healthcare coverage. There are a few options to do so, but that could leave you vulnerable to significant medical charges if something were to happen. Ensure they cover life insurance needs. Some people rely on their group life insurance coverage and don’t have outside life insurance. This could cause a significant gap in their financial plan. Decide what to do with their previous 401k/retirement account. There are options to roll it into an IRA or other retirement accounts.
QFor American Airlines employees approaching retirement age, how do you recommend they prepare to make the transition from living off their salary to relying upon other sources of income?
The biggest and most important factor is to have a plan for retirement income. Cash flow is king in retirement and having a strategy to manage it throughout retirement is critical. Managing risk and cash flow is the most important.
QFor American Airlines employees who have managed their finances on their own to this point, what would you suggest they consider to help them decide if they should begin working with a financial advisor at this stage in their lives?
There are a few ways an advisor can completely change their perspective. The first is seeing what they have and what that is projected to produce in retirement, first without my recommendations, and then with them. That’s typically an eye-opening experience and often doesn’t even require massive changes, just optimization and intentionality.
The second, and important aspect is to ensure they have appropriately covered risks that could be detrimental to their income/nest egg.
If someone has educated themselves, then DIY finance can be a great strategy. However, sometimes it may even come down to having peace of mind knowing that a professional has looked at their situation and implemented strategies that ensure they won’t run out of money in retirement.
QWhat are some of the unique financial planning challenges you commonly see among your clients who are American Airlines employees and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
Company employees often try to keep up with the latest financial trends that are spreading around the office place to stay relevant. For example, chasing “hot” stocks, or investing into something because a co-worker does. That is one of the most challenging things to overcome for a client, is managing the behavioral side of finance and avoiding the “keeping up with the Jones” mentality.
QWhat questions do you recommend American Airlines employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?
Are you a fiduciary? This question gets overlooked because clients assume all advisors are fiduciaries. That is not the case and clients should ask that question.
How do you get paid? This question is an inside look into an advisor’s motivation for serving you as a client. Do they need to sell you products to be successful, or does their compensation align with your best interests?
What is your approach to financial planning? Every advisor has a structure with how they take a client from Point A to Point B. What is that and does it align with what you’re looking for?
QIs there anything that comes up frequently in your initial meeting with American Airlines employees that surprises you?
The most common thing that comes up is a lack of understanding of how a financial advisor can help them. People assume that it is only investment management, but they don’t understand the long-term benefits of working with an advisor.
QFor highly compensated American Airlines employees and executives, are there any special benefits you believe it’s important to take into consideration when preparing their financial plan?
Yes, any bonus, stock compensation, tax planning, and estate planning become much more important to discuss with highly compensated employees. Each company is different and having an advisor decipher how to navigate these different topics adds incredible insight and potential tax savings.
QIs there a particularly memorable experience or a moment you recall with a client who worked at American Airlines when you realized they have unique opportunities and circumstances when it comes to their financial planning needs?
Absolutely, clients with access to HSAs have a unique tool to use for their benefit. Additionally, employer matching contributions to a 401k are extremely valuable. Airline pilots have one of the best employer matches among all industries.
QAs an American Airlines employee, when and how should you find a financial advisor?
The answer is biased, but it is now. Don’t wait until you’re a few years out from retirement. By starting early, you can not only avoid potential mistakes, but you can incorporate accountability and intentionality to achieve your vision of retirement.
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About the Author
Brian Thorp
Founder & CEO, Wealthtender · Editor-in-Chief
Brian Thorp is the founder and CEO of Wealthtender and serves as Editor-in-Chief. With over 25 years in the financial services industry — including nearly 22 years at Invesco, where he led strategic partnerships with wealth management firms representing more than $100 billion in assets — Brian founded Wealthtender to help people find financial advisors they can trust and make more informed money decisions.
A member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals and its SEC Marketing Rule Working Group, Brian was recognized by WealthManagement.com as one of its “Ten to Watch in 2024” for his work reshaping how financial advisors market their services. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin.
Brian and his wife live in Austin, Texas.