Your Meta Benefits & Career: Financial Planning for Employees and Executives

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

Whether you’re a new Meta 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 Meta benefits available to you?

✅If you’re thinking about leaving Meta 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 Meta Benefits and Compensation Package

Throughout the year, Meta 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 Meta who specialize in helping Meta employees make the most of their income and benefits.

Whether you work in the Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California, 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 Meta 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 Meta 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 Meta 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 Meta Employees & Executives
2. Get Answers to Your Questions About Your Meta Benefits and Career
3. Browse Related Articles

Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for Meta Employees & Executives

Get to Know:

↗️ Bill Promes (Mill Valley, California) | ↗️ Louis Green (New York, New York)

Answers to Employee Questions with Bill Promes

Bill Promes is a financial advisor based in Mill Valley, California who specializes in offering financial planning services to Meta employees. Bill helps his clients get the most value from their Meta benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.

Q: When you first speak with a Meta 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?

Bill: First, I like to get to know them as a person. Learning about someone’s family, values and dreams help to connect the dots between what we’re doing today from a planning perspective to their long-term vision in life. By getting to know my clients, I can anticipate their needs as the planning relationship develops.

Q: For Meta 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?

Bill: I would ask them if they could quantify where they are at on their financial journey.

If they are looking forward to an early retirement, do they have a savings goal associated with that number? Many people do well on their own, until they get closer to what they think is their goal, and then need to move from a sketch of the future to a detailed blueprint.

Maybe it’s not early retirement, but purchasing a home and starting a family. If there are doubts about what you need to achieve your goal, it might be time to work with a planner.

Q: Is there anything that comes up frequently in your initial meeting with Meta employees that surprises you?

Bill: Misunderstandings of taxes in relation to RSUs comes up frequently. It’s definitely not unique to Meta employees, I see it elsewhere. The US tax code is not known for its simplicity, so I always feel good when I can help an employee truly understand the tax implications of their RSUs and how best to leverage this wonderful benefit.

Q: For highly compensated Meta employees and executives, are there any special benefits you believe it’s important to take into consideration when preparing their financial plan?

Bill: Meta’s 401(k) plan has the capability for a Mega Backdoor Roth. That’s an amazing benefit for savers who can afford to set aside extra money to take advantage of that benefit. It’s definitely not for everyone, but for high earners who are looking to maximize their savings, it’s a great option.

Get to Know Bill Promes, Financial Advisor for Meta Employees:

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

Answers to Employee Questions with Louis Green, CFA®, CFP®

Louis Green is a financial advisor based in New York, New York who specializes in offering financial planning services to Meta employees. Louis helps his clients get the most value from their Meta benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.

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

Louis: We understand Meta offers great retirement tools and our first goal is to make sure Meta employees see the long term picture regarding their employee benefits. Our process is very methodical. We start by reviewing all of their employee benefit options and dig into which benefits are currently used or not. We help them understand the pros and cons of any unused benefits. We also help them with decisions regarding their RSU’s, 401(k) options and strategic decisions around matters such as the the Mega Backdoor Roth.

Q: When you first speak with a Meta 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?

Louis: I like to ask Meta employees about their goals and about what money means to them. What was their experience with money growing up? What would they like to achieve with their money? We spend a lot of time initially on the non quantitative work before we start to discuss numbers. As we progress, we want to know all about their RSU’s, retirement account balances, other assets, their budget, cash flow uses and taxes. We incorporate the hard numbers with what we learned about them to develop an investment portfolio and written financial plan. I wrote a book titled 5 Steps To Retirement Planning, which serves as the framework for the work we do with Meta employees.

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

Louis: We think the Mega Backdoor Roth is underutilized. In our opinion, the Mega Backdoor Roth IRA is a tool that could be very valuable long term for Meta employees.

Q: Beyond Meta employee benefits for retirement savings, are there other types of benefits offered by the company that you find valuable to discuss with your clients?

Louis: We feel that the HSA plan is underutilized. The HSA offers triple tax benefits – tax deductible contributions, tax free growth and tax free withdrawals if all of the rules are properly followed.

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

Louis: We recommend Meta employees start by creating a checklist that covers all aspects of their personal and financial life before the transition. A transition can be difficult so they should be organized. Organization will allow Meta employees to spend spend time on what matters most – their new job. The checklist could include some or all of the following: RSU and stock option vesting schedules and expiration timelines, comparison of their existing 401(k) plan to their new employers plan, HSA plan options, new healthcare options and beneficiary tracking for their retirement accounts. After they resign they should immediately execute any matters that were not tackled prior to their resignation. We believe they should work double time for a short period of time to make the transition easy.

Q: For Meta 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?

Louis: We think a comprehensive financial plan is the best way to prepare for retirement. Employees should start by listing their sources and duration of income – pensions, social security, investment accounts and other sources of income. They should consider their expenses – fixed costs, variable costs for matters such as entertainment and living needs. What does the net number (income minus expenses) illustrate? Could they reduce expenses if there is not a significant surplus? Inflation and investment returns are an important part of the equation. If they are using a portfolio for part of their living expenses, and most people are, they should make sure their portfolio is appropriate for their risk tolerance and cash flow needs. Does the asset allocation of the portfolio make sense? Are there any concentrated positions? Where are the risks in the portfolio? What happens to the portfolio if the market drops 40% and how does that impact their spending? What are their health care costs and what happens if there is a health event? Do they have adequate insurance?

Q: For Meta 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?

Louis: Meta employees considering working with an advisor should start by thinking about the complexity of their portfolio and finances. How much experience do they have regarding investments and finances? How much time do they want to spend on their finances? Are there other areas of their lives where they could use help such as estate planning, behavioral investing or concentrated positions? How do they react when the markets decline? Do they need someone to consult with during market volatility? Could they benefit from a comprehensive plan? The answers to these questions may help them determine if they should consider working with an advisor.

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

Louis: Some of the unique challenges we see with employees at Meta pertains to their company stock and total benefits package. What do they do with vested stock? How much should they hold? What are the tax consequences from newly vested positions? Are they taking advantage of ALL of their benefits? For example, taking advantage of the Mega Backdoor Roth requires an investment now to possibly realize a benefit much later in life. We help them overcome these obstacles by creating a comprehensive plan that combines their values, experience and goals with their investments, retirement accounts and company benefits to help them pursue their long term goals.

Q: What questions do you recommend Meta employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?

Louis: We think employees at Meta should start by asking their financial advisor if they are a fiduciary. Is the potential advisor required to put the clients interests above their own interests at all times? Ask about their services. What services do they offer? Will they offer comprehensive planning or simply investments? Who is part of their team? How often will they meet with their advisor? How will investments be transitioned? Are they planning to use third party managers? What is the fee and what is included in the fee? Are there extra fees to be paid for the investments?

Q: Is there anything that comes up frequently in your initial meeting with Meta employees that surprises you?

Louis: What surprises me most is their approach to their restricted stock benefits. I never receive a consistent answer and that is OK. In my previous job, I also worked with employees who received restricted stock from a number of different firms. Many of these employees wish to hold the stock, others set the stock aside for different goals, while others have asked me to diversify their positions.

Q: For highly compensated Meta employees and executives, are there any special benefits you believe it’s important to take into consideration when preparing their financial plan?

Louis: Highly compensated employees and executives should pay particular attention to tax strategies such as the Mega Backdoor Roth option. Executives with high compensation should consider how to defer or reduce taxes now to reap greater benefits in the future. Anything that provides a tax deduction, or defers capital gains or protects income from taxes should be considered.

Q: Is there a particularly memorable experience or a moment you recall with a client who worked at Meta when you realized they have unique opportunities and circumstances when it comes to their financial planning needs?

Louis: I completed a financial plan for an employee last year. What I realized from this plan was the power of the compensation structure and benefits at Meta. If the individual followed the plan that we presented, he could potentially realize all of his financial goals over the long term. A plan is important, however the plan must be executed every year.

Get to Know Louis Green, Financial Advisor for Meta Employees:

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

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