Your PGA of America Benefits & Career: Financial Planning for Employees and Executives

Do you work at PGA of America? Get the resources you need and expert insights from financial professionals who specialize in helping PGA of America employees make the most of their compensation package and benefits.

Whether you’re a new PGA of America employee or you’ve moved up the ranks into a management or executive leadership role over a multi-year career, it’s important to make smart money moves with your income and employee benefits. For example:

✅ Do you know the right moves to make to get the greatest value from the PGA of America benefits available to you?

✅If you’re thinking about leaving PGA of America for another job or planning to retire in a few years, are you taking the right steps today to ensure you will receive all of the compensation and benefits that you’ve earned?

Get the Most Value from Your PGA of America Benefits and Compensation Package

Throughout the year, PGA of America provides its employees and executives with updates about their benefits ranging from health insurance and health savings plans to retirement plans like a 401(k) and deferred compensation plans. While the organization offers many useful resources and access to knowledgeable staff who can assist with questions, you’ll also find financial professionals not affiliated with PGA of America who specialize in helping PGA of America employees make the most of their income and benefits.

Whether you work in the PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas, at a local course, PGA Section location around the country, 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.

For example, sensitive topics like discussing the steps you should take before quitting your job at PGA of America to work elsewhere or deciding when you should plan to retire are all conversations that may be more comfortable with a trusted financial advisor.

💡 In the Q&A below, you’ll gain insights from financial advisors who work with PGA of America employees to help them make smart decisions to get the most value from their compensation and benefits, reduce their money stress, and prepare for a comfortable retirement.

🙋‍♀️ Do you have questions not yet answered? Use the form below to submit questions anonymously and watch this article for updates with answers to your questions. You can also reach out to the financial advisors below to set up an introductory call or contact them with your questions by email.

💸 Smart Money Insights for PGA of America Employees & Executives

This page is organized into sections to help you quickly find the information you need and get answers to your questions:

1. Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for PGA of America Employees & Executives
2. Get Answers to Your Questions About Your PGA of America Benefits and Career
3. Browse Related Articles

Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for PGA of America Employees & Executives

Answers to Employee Questions with Ross Viergever, CFP®, CEPA™

Ross Viergever is a financial advisor based in Plano, Texas, who specializes in offering financial planning services to PGA of America employees. Ross helps his clients get the most value from their PGA of America benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.

Q: As a financial advisor with experience helping PGA of America employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?

Ross: As a CFP working with PGA of America employees, I focus on maximizing both their unique employee benefits and creating comprehensive financial strategies that align with their career paths in golf and in life. I help employees understand their 401(k) plan options, ensuring they’re contributing enough to capture any employer matching. We review investment allocations within their retirement accounts, often recommending age-appropriate target-date funds or diversified portfolios. For longer-tenured employees, I explain vesting schedules and pension benefits if applicable. I emphasize the power of automatic contribution increases, especially after salary raises or bonuses.

Q: When you first speak with a PGA of America 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?

Ross: When meeting with a new PGA employee, I ask:

• What’s your current role with PGA, and where do you see your career heading in the next 5-10 years?
• Do you have seasonal income variations, tournament winnings, or other irregular income sources?
• Are you planning to transition between club professional work, teaching, or administrative roles?

Personal Financial Landscape:

• What are your most important financial goals – retirement, home ownership, children’s education?
• What’s your current debt situation, particularly student loans from PGA education programs?
• Do you have emergency savings covering 3-6 months of expenses?

Family and Life Situation:

• Are you married, and if so, what employee benefits does your spouse have access to?
• Do you have children, and are you concerned about education funding?
• Are you caring for aging parents or other family members?

Risk Tolerance and Experience:

• How comfortable are you with investment risk and market volatility?
• Have you worked with a financial advisor before, and what was that experience like?
• What keeps you up at night financially?

PGA-Specific Considerations:

• Are you interested in maintaining PGA membership throughout retirement?
• Do you have income from teaching, retail, or other golf-related activities outside your PGA employment?

This comprehensive approach helps me understand not just their current financial situation, but how their unique career in the golf industry affects their long-term planning needs. PGA employees often have different career trajectories and income patterns than traditional corporate employees, so understanding these nuances is essential for effective financial planning.

Q: For PGA of America 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?

Ross: Social Security optimization – It’s important to understand how your PGA earnings history affects benefits and develop a claiming strategy.

• 401(k)/403(b) distribution planning – create a systematic withdrawal strategy, typically starting with the 4% rule as a baseline
• Pension coordination if you have PGA pension benefits – understand payout options and timing
• Part-time work planning – many PGA retirees continue teaching or consulting; factor this into your income projections

The “Retirement Paycheck” Strategy: I recommend creating a monthly retirement budget that mirrors their working years:

• Fixed expenses (housing, insurance, utilities): 50-60% of retirement income
• Discretionary spending (travel, golf, hobbies): 30-40%
• Emergency buffer: 10-20%

Healthcare Transition Planning:

• Bridge insurance strategy if retiring before Medicare eligibility at 65
• Medicare supplement planning – understanding Parts A, B, C, and D
• HSA maximization in final working years – these become excellent healthcare retirement accounts

Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Sequencing:

• Taxable accounts first – typically most tax-efficient for early retirement years
• Tax-deferred accounts (401k, traditional IRA) – managing tax brackets carefully
• Roth accounts last – preserving tax-free growth as long as possible

Specific PGA Retirement Considerations

Lifestyle Maintenance:

• Many PGA professionals are accustomed to playing golf regularly – budget for continued membership or green fees.
• Consider relocating to lower-cost areas with good golf access.
• Plan for potential travel to visit golf destinations you’ve always wanted to experience.

Gradual Transition Options:

• Phased retirement – reducing to part-time status while maintaining some benefits.
• Seasonal work – teaching at winter golf schools or working seasonal positions.
• Consulting opportunities – leveraging your PGA expertise for course design input or staff training.

Estate and Legacy Planning:

• Review beneficiary designations on all retirement accounts.
• Consider how your golf equipment, memorabilia, or professional connections might be part of your legacy.
• Ensure your spouse understands all financial accounts and has access.

The “Retirement Test Drive”: Two years before retirement, I recommend clients practice living on their projected retirement income for 3-6 months. This reveals whether their projections are realistic and allows for adjustments while they still have earned income.

The key is starting this planning process early enough to make meaningful adjustments. Many PGA professionals have irregular income patterns throughout their careers, so retirement planning requires extra attention to ensure a smooth transition from the variability of professional golf income to the predictability needed in retirement.

Q: For PGA of America 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?

Ross: If you’re juggling multiple income streams (club salary, teaching fees, tournament winnings, retail commissions), a professional can help optimize tax strategies across all sources. When your investment portfolio exceeds $100,000-$200,000, professional management often becomes cost-effective. If you’re considering major life changes like facility ownership, marriage, or starting a family, ask yourself:

• Am I spending 5+ hours monthly managing investments and still feeling uncertain about my decisions?
• Do you understand concepts like asset allocation rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and Roth conversion strategies?
• Are you confident in your estate planning and insurance coverage adequacy?
• Peak earning years (typically ages 35-55 for PGA professionals) when maximizing savings becomes critical
• Career transitions – moving from assistant to head professional, or considering facility ownership
• Within 10 years of retirement when distribution planning becomes essential

Get to Know Ross Viergever, Financial Advisor for PGA of America Employees:

View Ross’s profile page on Wealthtender or visit his website to learn more.

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