Your H-E-B Benefits & Career: Financial Planning for Employees and Executives

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

Whether you’re a new H-E-B 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 H-E-B benefits available to you?

✅If you’re thinking about leaving H-E-B for another job or planning to retire from the company 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 H-E-B Benefits and Compensation Package

Throughout the year, H-E-B 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), deferred compensation plans, and stock options. 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 H-E-B who specialize in helping H-E-B employees make the most of their income and benefits.

Whether you work in the H-E-B headquarters in San Antonio, another office 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 H-E-B 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.

💡 In the Q&A below, you’ll gain insights from financial advisors who work with H-E-B 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 H-E-B 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 H-E-B Employees & Executives
2. Get Answers to Your Questions About Your H-E-B Benefits and Career
3. Quick Facts & Resources for H-E-B Employees
4. Browse Related Articles

Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for H-E-B Employees & Executives

Answers to Employee Questions with Financial Advisor Ron Zunker

Ron Zunker is a financial advisor based in San Antonio who specializes in offering financial planning services to H-E-B employees. Ron helps his clients get the most value from their H-E-B benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.

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

Ron: One of the first topics of conversation with any employee is their current financial picture, including their goals and dreams, short-term and long-term.  

Whether a front-line employee, senior executive, or mid-level leader, I tailor the depth and breadth of discussion to the level of understanding and interest of the employee.  I always address the power of saving and the leverage of time for the simple reason H-E-B provides their employees with generous benefits.  Their health and retirement benefits are very attractive. 

With a disciplined approach over time, maximizing contribution limits, and company matching, employees can quickly build wealth.  For those who qualify, the various stock ownership plans can dramatically accelerate wealth building. 

Q: When you first speak with an H-E-B employee, what questions do you like to ask to understand their unique circumstances better and determine how you can best help them achieve their goals?

Ron: Good financial planning and advice are built on good discovery.  Questioning and listening are critical components of good discovery.  My questioning style is conversational. 

A conversation that explores the goals, dreams, and family dynamics is the cornerstone for designing a successful financial plan.  Typically, it takes more than one conversation to discover what is most important to employees.  And gaining that depth of understanding and insight requires trust, which is earned.

Q: Is there a particular benefit available to H-E-B employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?

Ron: Retirement plan “matching” benefits and health plan benefits are two of the most misunderstood benefits.  I encourage employees to at least contribute enough into the retirement plan so they receive all the “match” benefits offered by H-E-B.  That is free money for the employee. 

With health benefits, I encourage employees to talk with their Benefits team at H-E-B early in the planning process for retirement.  Also, if the employee leaves H-E-B before retiring, they need to know the details of their options.  Some options can be impacted by age, vesting requirements, or years of service.

Q: Beyond H-E-B 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)?

Ron: The benefits package provided by H-E-B is generous and creative. The stock equivalent ownership plan is a nice addition to the stock ownership programs.

With health and education, there are savings accounts for each that are typically not included in a corporate benefits package. For example, Texas offers some nice education savings plans for those who know they want to attend a university in Texas.

There are a variety of savings accounts for health expenses that may also prove valuable to employees that are not available through H-E-B. I can discuss options in each of these areas.

Q: For H-E-B employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?

Ron: Sometimes, an employee has no control over when they resign. It may be due to health issues, family needs, or other factors beyond their control. When a resignation is in the employee’s control, it is important they have prepared for this event by planning in advance so all the benefits are maximized.

Vesting schedules, age of the employee, years of service, and plan participation are all possible triggers for receiving or losing benefits. There may be other triggers. That is why I recommend employees have a review with their benefits team at H-E-B when they enter the 5-year window leading up to retirement. When it is a resignation, the sooner the employee can learn all the triggers for their benefits, the more likely they will not leave any benefits behind.

Q: For H-E-B 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?

Ron: The number one key to a successful retirement is preparation.  At PAX, we have a term we use for retirement planning which is PIVOT.  Ideally, five years before retirement, the preparation starts.  Understanding your investment plan.  Practicing your spending.  Aligning family expectations.  And avoiding money influence from relentless marketing, family, and neighbors who all have their ideas.  Careful evaluation of your plan, risks, and opportunities make for a successful PIVOT.

Q: For H-E-B 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?

Ron: The two most common considerations for the do-it-yourself investor are very basic.  The first is for employees who are married.  If the employee dies, will their spouse want to manage the investments?   If the answer is no, then the employee can split the assets into two accounts.  The employee continues to manage one account while starting to work with an advisor that is liked by both the employee and their spouse. 

The second consideration is a simple question.  Is this how the employee wants to spend a portion, usually a big portion, of their time in retirement?  When they are traveling, with family or friends, in remote areas, on the golf course, or at the beach, will they be able to relax and enjoy life while still managing their investments?  Financial planning and the management of an investment portfolio requires time…sometimes a lot of time. 

Q: What are some of the unique financial planning challenges you commonly see among your clients who are H-E-B employees, and how do you help them overcome these obstacles?

Ron: The financial planning challenge that is most harmful is not unique to H-E-B employees.  Unfortunately, it is quite common.  The “challenge” is one topic with two parts.  The topic is planning.  People either wait too long to start or do not plan at all.  The good news is I can help with both situations.  But the employee must ask!  How I help them is simple.  We do a financial plan…together.  It is never too late to start!  And what I start with a client, we finish together.

Get to Know Ron Zunker, Financial Advisor for H-E-B Employees:

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

Quick Facts & Resources for H-E-B Employees

H-E-B Quick Facts & Resources	Details / Useful Links
H-E-B Corporate Headquarters Address	646 S Flores St San Antonio, TX 78204 (📍Google Maps)
H-E-B Here Everyone Belongs Podcast & Employee Resources	https://careers.heb.com/here-everyone-belongs/
How much do H-E-B employees Make?	View H-E-B Salary Research on Glassdoor
Where can I learn more about careers at H-E-B?	Visit Careers.heb.com

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