Find Financial Advisors for Amgen Employees & Executives: Q&A Insights from the Experts

The very foundation of doing financial planning for Amgen employees starts with gathering information in order to produce financial plans that analyze a client’s situation and provide recommendations to help clients realize their goals. But the process of data gathering to do financial planning involves a lot more than simply gathering financial data.

Some questions we like to ask revolve not just around their financial needs, but also their personal investment understanding and philosophy. These are just a sample:

• If money was no object, what would you do all day?
• If you could live in any city, where would it be and why?
• What is your favorite thing about your career?
• Name one thing you’re willing to spend more money on to make sure you get the best quality.
• What’s a financial topic you wish you knew more about?
• What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
• How do you make important financial decisions?
• What would make this financial advising relationship a success for you?
• What’s the most important thing we need to achieve?
• What do you feel is your most pressing financial concern right now?
• Do you feel that a financial plan would make your life easier?

There are several factors to take into consideration before leaving Amgen to accept a new job at a different firm. 

The first factor to consider is determining the amount of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) you will be leaving behind. This is the most overlooked area of the decision-making process.  Restricted stock units are a way an employer can grant company shares to employees. The grant is “restricted” because it is subject to a vesting schedule, which can be based on length of employment or on performance goals.

Vesting schedules for Amgen are often time-based, requiring you to work at the company for a certain period before vesting can occur. Job termination almost always stops vesting. The only exception occurs in certain situations when vesting may be allowed to continue or may even be accelerated (e.g., death, disability, or retirement, depending on your plan and grant agreement).

Having a wife that has worked at Amgen and many clients who currently work there or have retired from Amgen, I can speak from experience that Amgen employees have left hundreds of thousands of dollars in RSUs because they left too early or left for a different firm.

Before or after resigning, an Amgen employee should consider working with a financial advisor to establish an IRA and possibly a Roth IRA account.  Amgen’s benefit plans are complex and employee’s assets can be spread out in various financial institutions and pre-tax and post-tax accounts. 

Working closely with an advisor will ensure you don’t leave assets behind and forgotten, as well as minimize your tax liability.  Working closely with Amgen employees, we have located assets in the form of stock options and vested stock units at firms like Computershare because the client did not receive statements. 

We recommend that Amgen employees get a better understanding of their retirement needs.  The average person spends about 20 years in retirement. This is a significant amount of time in which to be financially independent, which means it’s important to plan accordingly. 

The Department of Labor recommends that retirees prepare to live on 70 to 90% of their pre-retirement income in order to maintain their usual standard of living. Because of this, it is important to start planning 6 to 9 months before retirement. If you are living comfortably now, ask yourself if you have saved enough to continue living this way once you have retired.

Another way to better prepare is to understand how much you’re currently spending.  Highly-paid employees generally have large monthly expenses.  It is crucial to understand where your money is going and where it is coming from before you retire. This will also give Amgen employees a better understanding of what costs can be cut to save money. 

We recommend several different ways that clients can achieve this: Using apps that track expenses such as Goodbudget, using spreadsheet templates that are available to help track spending, or using software such as Quicken. 

Before retirement, it is vital to get an understanding of your Social Security benefit.  We recommend before Amgen employees retire they use the Social Security website and get their latest Social Security benefit information.  This will help them determine how much income from Social Security they will receive and also add other passive income they may be receiving, such as rental income, alimony, child support, disability, etc., to understand how much they are going to leverage their investments to make up any shortfall. 

Retirement offers the gift of time to do the things that matter most to you.  While our happiest years may be in retirement, the transition isn’t always a walk on the beach. Do your homework in advance to know what you are retiring to, not just what you’re retiring from.

As a financial advisor who works closely with women in pharma, I know how overwhelming benefit packages can feel—especially at a place like Amgen. There are so many options, acronyms, and moving parts that it’s hard to know what’s worth paying attention to, let alone what’s best for your situation.

And let’s be honest—most professionals I work with are so focused on doing well in their roles, managing teams, or preparing for the next launch or M&A, that there’s barely time to come up for air, let alone map out a financial strategy. That’s exactly where I come in.

Amgen offers some powerful benefits that, when used thoughtfully, can really move the needle on your long-term financial health. Here’s how I help clients make the most of them.

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP): You can buy Amgen stock at a 5% discount using payroll deductions. I help you decide how that fits into your overall plan—so you’re taking advantage of the discount without overloading on company stock.
• Equity Compensation (RSUs, PSUs, Stock Options): Depending on your role and level, you may receive different types of stock-based awards. I walk you through what they mean, when they vest, how taxes work, and what to do with them to support your bigger financial goals.
• 401(k) and Company Match: Amgen matches 100% of the first 5% you contribute—and they’ll add another 5% even if you contribute nothing. I make sure my clients don’t leave any of that value behind
• Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) & SRP (for Level 7+): These plans let you save even more money pre-tax and get additional company contributions. We look at how this fits into your income and retirement strategy so you’re making smart moves now and later.

At the end of the day, my role is to help you feel confident and in control of your financial life so your hard work pays off not just in your career, but in your future freedom too. Whether your goal is retiring early, making work optional, or simply feeling more organized and clear, I help put all the pieces together in a way that works for you.

There are a few really valuable benefits I see Amgen employees missing out on usually because they’re buried in the fine print or not talked about enough. However, they can make a big difference in your long-term planning.

One of the most valuable but most overlooked benefits is the free estate planning documents. As part of your Amgen benefits, you have access to a full estate planning package that would normally cost thousands of dollars if you went through an attorney.

This includes essentials like a Will, Power of Attorney, Living Will, and even a Trust—all at no cost to you. If you haven’t taken advantage of this yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

Another often-overlooked gem is the Retiree Medical Savings Account (RMSA). This is a special account that helps you prepare for future medical expenses in retirement and it comes with double tax advantages. The money you put in grows tax-deferred, and when you use it later for qualified medical expenses, it comes out tax-free.

Plus, Amgen matches up to $1,500 per year of what you contribute. It’s one of the few benefits that helps cover healthcare costs later in life—something many people wish they’d planned for sooner.

These kinds of benefits are easy to miss when you’re focused on the day-to-day demands of work. That’s why I love helping clients dig into what’s available, make the most of it, and feel more confident about what’s ahead.

Before making a move, whether it’s by choice or due to a layoff, it’s really important to understand how your departure might affect your stock compensation. This is one area I often see overlooked, but it can have a major financial impact if not handled thoughtfully.

If you’re participating in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), the shares you’ve already purchased are yours to keep. That part is usually straightforward. But if you have unvested RSUs, PSUs, or stock options, it’s a different story. In many cases, you may forfeit some or all of your unvested awards when you leave the company.

If you’re resigning to join another firm, I recommend reviewing your equity package before you give notice and using that information when you’re negotiating your new offer. The value of unvested equity you’re walking away from should be part of the conversation, especially if the new company offers equity as well.

If you’re being laid off or offered a severance package, it’s worth asking whether vested options can be exercised over a longer window or if there’s any possibility of accelerated vesting on unvested shares. These are negotiable in some cases, and can make a big difference in the financial outcome.

And it’s not just about the current market value of the stock—you should also consider its future growth potential. If you’ve been at Amgen for a while, you could be walking away from a significant long-term opportunity. Understanding that value upfront gives you more power to make informed decisions and negotiate from a place of clarity.

Most of the women I work with aren’t looking for more information—they’re looking for a trusted partner to help them make thoughtful decisions without having to constantly research or second-guess every move. They’ve built successful careers and accumulated wealth, but they’re at a stage where their time and energy are better spent on things that matter most—family, health, purpose—not managing complex benefit strategies.

Financial planning isn’t something you do once and forget about. Life evolves, markets shift, and your goals change. If you’re doing it all yourself, it can be hard to keep up with all the moving pieces in a way that’s sustainable.

So the real question is: Do you want to keep managing all of this on your own?

Or are you ready to have someone by your side who understands your industry, your benefits, and how to help you make confident, aligned decisions for your future?

When you’re honest with yourself about where you want to focus your energy next, the answer usually becomes clear.

Choosing the right financial advisor is a personal decision—and it’s important to find someone who not only understands the numbers, but also understands you.

Here are a few thoughtful questions I recommend asking.

• Are you a fiduciary? Not all advisors are held to this standard at all times. It’s an important question that helps you understand how the relationship will be structured—and whether your needs will always come first.
• Are you a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)? Working with a CFP® ensures your advisor has met rigorous education, experience, and ethical standards—and is trained to provide advice across all areas of your financial life, not just investments.
• Do you have experience working with people like me? This is key—especially for Amgen professionals navigating equity compensation, deferred comp, early retirement planning, or complex career transitions. You want someone who understands the details of your benefit options and how to help you use them intentionally.
• What does your process look like, and how will we work together?
• Ask whether their approach is personalized and collaborative, and whether they focus on the full picture like integrating stock compensation with retirement goals, tax planning, and lifestyle needs.
• How will you help me feel more confident and clear about my financial decisions? The right advisor shouldn’t just give you data—they should help you make decisions that feel aligned, empowering, and easy to follow through on.

And above all, trust your gut. You deserve to work with someone who listens to you, respects your priorities, and helps you make progress in a way that feels sustainable and supportive.