Do you work at Dell Technologies?
Get expert insights from financial advisors who specialize in helping Dell Technologies employees and executives make the most of their compensation package and benefits.
Looking for a financial advisor who specializes in working with Dell Technologies employees? You’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find advisors who understand Dell Technologies benefits and compensation — along with their answers to common financial questions from Dell Technologies employees and executives.
Whether you recently joined Dell Technologies or you’ve advanced into a management or executive leadership role over a multi-year career, making smart decisions about your income and Dell Technologies 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 Dell Technologies benefits available to you?
✅ If you’re thinking about leaving Dell Technologies 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
Dell’s Deferred Compensation Plan Can Shift Taxes into Retirement — With Real Trade-Offs
Eligible directors, distinguished engineers, fellows, and executives can defer part of their pay and schedule future payouts, and both advisors below describe the plan as one of the most consequential choices senior Dell employees make. Because the plan is unfunded and leaving Dell earlier than expected can trigger a large tax bill, the enrollment decision belongs inside a full tax and cash-flow plan.
Roth and After-Tax 401(k) Savings Are Dell’s Most Underused Benefits
The advisors below single out the Roth 401(k) option and the after-tax contributions behind the “mega backdoor” Roth strategy as the benefits Dell employees most often overlook. One advisor describes a high-earning Dell household that added more than $50,000 a year to tax-free investments with a few adjustments to how it saved.
Map Your RSU Vesting Dates and Deferred Comp Payouts Before Leaving Dell
Unvested restricted stock units are typically forfeited when you resign, and deferred compensation elections can create tax consequences at separation. Review your grant and vesting schedules, any post-departure window to exercise stock options, and your 401(k) rollover plan before giving notice.
Why Dell Technologies Employees Work with a Specialist Financial Advisor
Throughout the year, Dell Technologies 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 Roth and after-tax savings options and, for eligible directors and executives, a deferred compensation plan — along with equity compensation such as restricted stock units. 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 Dell Technologies who specialize in helping Dell Technologies employees make the most of their income and benefits.
Dell Technologies has been headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, just north of Austin, since 1994, and the Central Texas region remains home to the company’s largest concentration of U.S. employees. Its other major U.S. hubs include Hopkinton, Massachusetts, the former EMC headquarters that became part of Dell through its 2016 merger. Whether you work at one of those sites, another Dell office, 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 Dell Technologies 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 a Dell Technologies 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 Dell Technologies 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 Dell Technologies employees is the better fit for your unique needs.
💡 In the Q&A below, you’ll gain insights from financial advisors who work with Dell Technologies 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 Dell Technologies Employees & Executives
In this section, you’ll learn how you can make the most of your Dell Technologies employee benefits and gain valuable tips from financial advisors who specialize in working with Dell Technologies employees and executives.
Jump to a Financial Advisor for Dell Technologies Employees
Financial Advisor Q&A · Dell Technologies Employees
Emily Rassam, CFP®, CRPS, AIFA, NSSA, CDAA
Archer Investment Management · Charlotte, NC · Serves clients nationwide
Richard J. Archer, CDAA, CFA, CFP®, MBA
Archer Investment Management · Austin, TX · Serves clients nationwide
With a focus on serving professionals in the technology industry, the financial advisors at Archer Investment Management help their clients get the most value from their benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Austin, Texas, respectively, Emily Rassam and Richard Archer specialize in offering financial planning services to Dell Technologies employees.
QAs a financial advisor with experience helping Dell Technologies employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?
Emily: At Archer Investment Management, we specialize in working with mid-career technology professionals. We have several Dell Technologies employees as clients and are familiar with the company’s employee benefit plans, retirement plans, equity compensation packages, and ancillary benefits.
More importantly, we are acutely aware of the financial planning needs of technology professionals and how their Dell benefits fit into an overall financial plan, including long-term planning, goal setting, tax planning, and estate planning. We start by building a financial personality profile and risk tolerance assessment to understand your relationship with money and your comfort level with risk.
QWhen you first speak with a Dell Technologies 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?
Richard: Our detailed onboarding process includes conversations about your life goals, how your finances play a role in maximizing happiness, and what it means to be intentional with money. We gather information about your benefits and compensation package, spending plan, short-term and long-term goals, taxes, estate plans, and insurance.
This detailed planning process allows us to build a comprehensive picture of your financial life and how each piece of the puzzle fits together. You cannot make recommendations without examining the whole picture.
QIs there a particular benefit available to Dell Technologies employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?
Richard: As you are enrolling in the 401(k) plan, you will want to evaluate if the Roth 401(k) savings feature is beneficial for you. This after-tax savings option is often underutilized at Dell. At a minimum, consider contributing 6% for the match or up to $7,500 per year if making over $125,000 per year (once the match is no longer suspended).
QBeyond Dell Technologies employee benefits for retirement savings, are there other types of benefits offered by the company that you find valuable to discuss with your clients (e.g., stock, education savings, health savings)?
Emily: Dell offers a commuter benefits program to defer pre-tax dollars into a Smart-Choice account to cover commuting costs. For every $100 Dell employees spend on commuting, they are potentially able to save $25-$30 on taxes. Included with this benefit are vouchers for employees to utilize a bicycle to commute to work.
QFor Dell Technologies employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?
Emily: Your matched 401(k) dollars are 100% vested from day one. However, you may have received employee stock options or restricted stock units (RSUs) that are unvested. Look carefully at the dates on your grants and vesting schedules to determine when each RSU grant vests; this may impact your timing to leave Dell – you don’t want to leave any money on the table! You have 90 days after departing the company to exercise your stock options. Work with an advisor to determine which grants to exercise and the best way to fund this purchase.
QFor Dell Technologies 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?
Richard: Our detailed retirement planning process includes:
- A spending strategy tailored to your income goals
- Social Security timing recommendations
- Coordination of health care benefits
- Discussion around how your spending will change throughout retirement
- Stress-testing your retirement projection with many what-if scenarios
- Timing your exit to maximize any unvested incentive stock options (ISOs), non-qualified stock options (NSOs), or RSUs
QFor Dell Technologies 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?
Emily: There are many online tools and calculators. Where we find Dell employees get stuck is understanding how to prioritize goals and seeing the big picture. We help Dell employees organize their financial lives and provide accountability for reaching goals.
Understanding whether you should use surplus dollars to pay down debt, save towards a short-term goal, or work towards a long-term aspiration (such as retirement or college education savings) can be challenging. For Dell employees planning with a spouse or partner, an advisor can help facilitate difficult conversations and move the ball forward on your planning process.
QWhat are some of the unique financial planning challenges you commonly see among your clients who are Dell Technologies employees and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
Richard: One common obstacle we find is knowing when to diversify away from the concentration risk of holding a high percentage of your net worth in one company’s shares. Many of our Dell employee clients struggle with selling positions; it requires coaching, recognizing natural human biases, an evaluation of the risks, and careful diversification away from an outsized position.
QWhat questions do you recommend Dell Technologies employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?
Richard: If you were granted incentive stock options or restricted stock units, be sure to work with an advisor who understands how to incorporate those into your overall picture. Seek an advisor who can model the alternative minimum tax (AMT), understands the rules around qualifying and disqualifying dispositions, and knows how and when to diversify away from sizeable single stock positions, if appropriate.
QIs there anything that comes up frequently in your initial meeting with Dell Technologies employees that surprises you?
Richard: We enjoy finding opportunities to help Dell employees maximize non-traditional benefits such as pet insurance, adoption assistance, discounts, commuter benefits, legal services, back-up childcare, and tuition assistance.
QFor highly compensated Dell Technologies employees and executives, are there any special benefits you believe it’s important to take into consideration when preparing their financial plan?
Emily: The Dell Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) is an offering to provide income deferral opportunities to eligible U.S.-based distinguished engineers, fellows, directors who manage people, and executives. The DCP allows you to defer up to 85% of your income and schedule future installment payments that may begin as early as three years from enrollment or over 2-15 years in retirement.
QIs there a particularly memorable experience or a moment you recall with a client who worked at Dell Technologies when you realized they have unique opportunities and circumstances when it comes to their financial planning needs?
Emily: One of our clients is an executive at Dell, and he was unfamiliar with the Deferred Compensation Plan offering available to him. We reviewed the plan documents and rules to guide him during the enrollment process. The executive and his wife are in their 50s, and the offering was especially beneficial for them to defer the income (and subsequent taxes) now while their income is higher and retire early in a lower tax bracket.
We helped him choose a deferral percentage to match the goals in his overall financial plan and a distribution bucket strategy.
Considering a financial advisor who specializes in working with Dell Technologies Employees?
Financial Advisor Q&A · Dell Technologies Employees
Brian Fry, CFP®
Safe Landing Financial · Plano, TX · Serves clients nationwide
Financial planner for tech professionalsBrian Fry offers customized strategies to help Dell employees maximize their benefits. Through his firm, Safe Landing Financial, Brian helps Dell employees reach their financial goals, including offering strategies to optimize 401(k) allocations, understanding RSUs and Dell deferred compensation plans, and evaluating your balance sheet to determine how to limit your taxes and plan your financial future.
QAs a financial advisor with experience helping Dell Technologies employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?
As a financial advisor with experience assisting Dell employees in saving for retirement, I recognize the significance of Dell’s comprehensive benefits package. Dell provides a wide array of benefits, including RSUs, 401(k) plans, and deferred compensation options, and it’s crucial for employees to make informed decisions on an ongoing basis.
First, I perform a thorough assessment of their financial situation, goals, and retirement timeline. This allows me to understand their unique circumstances. Next, I work closely to create a customized financial plan that aligns their Dell benefits with their financial goals. Whether it’s maximizing contributions to their 401(k), optimizing RSUs, or making smart choices on the deferred compensation, I want to ensure that they are making the most advantageous choices within the framework of the benefits package.
I provide ongoing support and guidance and stay up-to-date on changes in Dell’s benefits. This way, we stay proactive in adapting strategies. By continuously monitoring their financial progress and adjusting our approach as life changes, I help Dell employees make the most of their employee benefits and save for retirement.
QWhen you first speak with a Dell Technologies 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?
I strive to gain a thorough understanding of their use of the Dell benefits package and how it aligns with their unique situation. This involves understanding their position in the company to determine if they are eligible for specific benefits like deferred compensation and the voluntary supplemental disability plan insurance. Additionally, I inquire about their retirement timeline to create a tax-efficient savings strategy tailored to their financial objectives. By better understanding their unique situation, I can help provide personalized strategies to help them reach their financial goals effectively.
QIs there a particular benefit available to Dell Technologies employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?
The mega-backdoor Roth 401(k) is an incredibly valuable strategy that often goes underutilized and misunderstood by many employees. This strategy involves making after-tax contributions to your 401(k) with the option to convert them to Roth 401(k) within the same plan. While some employees are aware of and benefit from this strategy, a significant number remain unaware of how it works and the importance of saving tax-efficiently for retirement. Additionally, some employees, despite being aware of the mega-backdoor Roth strategy, may lack the time or interest to research and implement it.
QBeyond Dell Technologies employee benefits for retirement savings, are there other types of benefits offered by the company that you find valuable to discuss with your clients?
Dell offers an extensive employee benefits package that goes well beyond retirement savings. Some of the best benefits include health savings accounts, disability insurance and life insurance. Health savings accounts can be a powerful tool for saving tax-efficiently for retirement and managing healthcare expenses in the future, while disability and life insurance provide financial protection in case of unforeseen events.
Here is a guide I’ve written with insights and examples for optimizing Dell’s employee benefits.
QFor Dell Technologies employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?
Some of the key actions before and shortly after leaving Dell include considering the financial implication of cash flows, recognizing that most Dell benefits do not carry over including non-vested restricted stock units typically void when leaving Dell, understanding the potential tax consequences from deferred compensation, and assessing a strategy for the 401(k). By taking these actions before and shortly after leaving Dell, they can make more informed decisions that align with their long-term financial goals when transitioning to a new career opportunity.
QFor Dell Technologies 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?
I recommend preparing for the transition by having a retirement plan in place. I enjoy providing a retirement roadmap that incorporates scenario analysis and stress-testing for added confidence.
Dell employees must consider how to optimize Social Security, factor in the deferred compensation distribution schedule, when to take distributions from retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, and how to handle required minimum distributions. It’s important to have a retirement plan in place for a tax-efficient distribution strategy.
Some additional retirement planning considerations include:
- Understanding the tax allocation of different investment accounts and considering Roth conversions when applicable.
- Ensuring an adequate emergency fund and investment strategy designed for the decumulation phase.
- Recognizing the impact of health care and long-term care expenses in retirement and planning for longevity.
QFor Dell Technologies 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?
As your financial situation gains in complexity, there are many reasons to consider working with a financial advisor. A financial advisor can build a customized financial plan tailored to your specific goals, ensuring that you’re making the most of your circumstances. A financial advisor can help streamline the management of your investment strategy, saving you time and effort in researching, monitoring, and rebalancing your portfolio. During emotionally charged, volatile financial markets or major life changes, a financial advisor can offer the perspective to help you navigate challenging times with composure. Whether you have a background in finance or not, a financial advisor’s knowledge and experience can help fill gaps and concerns about potential blind spots in your personal financial situation. Working with a financial advisor can provide more confidence in making financial decisions.
QWhat are some of the unique financial planning challenges you commonly see among your clients who are Dell Technologies employees and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?
The most common financial planning challenge I see with Dell employees is optimizing their tax-efficient savings opportunities and company benefits. Another challenge I commonly see is what to do with Dell’s restricted stock units after vesting. I work with clients to assess how restricted stock units fit into their overall financial situation, considering factors like vesting schedules, tax implications, investment preferences, and potential risks associated with concentrated stock exposure. Together, we develop a tailored strategy for managing restricted stock units for after they vest.
QWhat questions do you recommend Dell Technologies employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?
When evaluating a financial advisor, Dell employees should ask specific questions to gain insights into how they would work together. Here are a few important questions to consider:
- It’s important to understand the types of clients that a financial advisor serves to make sure they have experience dealing with similar financial situations and goals. “What are the types of clients that you typically work with?”
- Make sure they understand the unique challenges of optimizing the Dell benefits. “Can you share your experience working with Dell’s benefit package? What is your experience working with Dell’s stock compensation, 401(k) plan, and deferred compensation plan?”
- Make sure to understand how they would harmonize benefits into the broader strategy. “How do you incorporate Dell’s specific employee benefits into a comprehensive financial plan?”
These questions help assess a financial advisor’s expertise, ability to tailor strategies to your specific circumstances and objectives, and compatibility for working together.
QIs there anything that comes up frequently in your initial meeting with Dell Technologies employees that surprises you?
Many Dell employees that I’ve connected with have the desire to save intentionally and aggressively for retirement and other goals. With career advancement, Dell employees experience an increase in both financial rewards and complexity in benefits. Dell’s extensive benefits package provides employees with important choices involving stock compensation, deferred compensation, retirement savings, disability insurance, life insurance, and various other elections. One thing I am frequently surprised by when initially meeting with Dell employees is opportunities to use Dell’s benefits that can make a significant impact for their overall situation.
QFor highly compensated Dell Technologies employees and executives, are there any special benefits you believe it’s important to take into consideration when preparing their financial plan?
U.S.-based distinguished engineers, fellows, directors who manage people, and executives are eligible to participate in the deferred compensation plan. Participating in the deferred compensation plan is offered on an annual basis during open enrollment, but it isn’t always a clear-cut choice.
There are many considerations and risks before deciding if and how it fits in one’s financial plan. A few considerations include the tax impact in the present and future and the preferred order for saving in different account types.
Two of the biggest risks include: 1. The plan remains unfunded, meaning that funds are not set aside in a separate account and are available in the case of insolvency, and 2. If you unexpectedly separate from Dell earlier than expected, then you may unintentionally incur a “tax bomb”.
If deferred compensation is determined to be a good fit, then it’s important to collaborate for tax planning and investment planning. This involves considering the contribution percentages, preferences for if deferred compensation should be delivered in one lump-sum or spread out over two to fifteen years, projecting the impact on current and future taxes, and how the investments fit within the financial plan.
Deferred compensation is a major consideration for eligible Dell employees, and due to its complexity, I find it rewarding to engage in ongoing dialogue and provide guidance on how to approach deferred compensation on a case-by-case basis.
QIs there a particularly memorable experience or a moment you recall with a client who worked at Dell Technologies when you realized they have unique opportunities and circumstances when it comes to their financial planning needs?
When we initially started working together, I discovered that a high-earning Dell household had the potential to make a few minor adjustments to their savings, resulting in adding over $50,000 to tax-free investments on an annual basis. Considering that this household was still several years away from retirement, these changes significantly reduced their future tax burden and enhanced their overall financial situation.
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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.