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

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

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

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

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

Whether you work in the Amazon headquarters in Seattle, Washington, 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 Amazon 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 Amazon 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 Amazon 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 Amazon Employees & Executives
2. Get Answers to Your Questions About Your Amazon Benefits and Career
3. Browse Related Articles

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

Answers to Employee Questions with Brady Lochte

Brady Lochte is a financial advisor based in Georgetown, Texas who specializes in offering financial planning services to Amazon employees. Brady helps his clients get the most value from their Amazon benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.

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

Brady: Amazon employees have access to one of the strongest total compensation packages in the tech industry, but the value isn’t always obvious without a plan. My role is to help clients understand how each benefit fits into their long-term financial picture — from optimizing their 401(k) contributions and Roth strategies to building a thoughtful plan around RSU vesting schedules, taxes, and diversification. Many Amazon employees are highly compensated but extremely time-constrained, so I help translate their benefits into a simple, actionable framework that maximizes retirement readiness while reducing risk and unnecessary taxes.

Q: When you first speak with a Amazon 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?

Brady: I start with questions that help me understand both their financial picture and their lifestyle:

• How do you envision life five to ten years from now — financially and personally?
• How important is financial independence or early retirement to you?
• How significant is RSU income relative to your base salary?
• What’s your current strategy for taxes, equity diversification, and savings outside the 401(k)?

This gives me a clear sense of how to prioritize planning around Amazon’s unique compensation structure.

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

Brady: Yes — RSUs and 401(k)s are often misunderstood. Many employees don’t realize how quickly concentrated equity exposure can build during their tenure. They also underutilize Roth strategies inside the 401(k), even when future tax planning (especially for early retirees or relocators) would make Roth contributions extremely valuable.

Q: Beyond Amazon 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)?

Brady: Definitely. Amazon employees have access to several benefits that offer tremendous long-term value:

• Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) — among the most tax-efficient accounts available.
• Employee Stock (RSUs) — requires planning for taxes, diversification, and risk management.
• Education resources and career development benefits — which can meaningfully impact long-term income potential.

Discussing these holistically ensures the employee isn’t overlooking major opportunities.

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

Brady: Before leaving, they should:

1. Review outstanding RSUs and understand vesting vs. forfeiture rules.
2. Verify bonus timing and understand clawback policies.
3. Map out their health insurance transition (COBRA vs. new employer coverage).
4. Evaluate their 401(k) options — stay, roll over, or convert to Roth.

After resigning, the top priorities are managing taxes tied to RSU vest dates, adjusting their savings strategy to the new compensation structure, and updating their financial plan around their new role.

Q: For Amazon 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?

Brady: We begin by building a retirement income plan that coordinates Social Security, RSUs, 401(k)/IRA withdrawals, Roth strategies, and taxable investments. Many Amazon employees retire with a mix of concentrated stock and high-pre-tax savings, so sequencing withdrawals wisely can significantly reduce lifetime taxes. We also create a clear spending plan, an emergency buffer, and an investment strategy that shifts from accumulation to preservation and income generation.

Q: For Amazon 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?

Brady: I tell them to consider two questions:

1. Are your finances becoming more complex than they used to be?
2. Is the cost of making a mistake greater than before?

As compensation grows and retirement gets closer, the stakes — especially around taxes, equity compensation, and withdrawal planning — become much higher. An advisor can reduce uncertainty and help avoid costly errors.

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

Brady: The biggest challenges are:

• RSU concentration risk
• Tax spikes from vesting schedules
• Balancing high income with long-term savings habits
• Planning for early retirement or flexible career paths

I help clients create a diversified investment strategy, build tax-efficient saving and harvesting plans, and align their financial life with their personal goals — not just their paycheck.

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

Brady: I recommend they ask:

• Are you fee-only and fiduciary 100% of the time?
• Do you have experience with Amazon’s compensation structure and RSUs?
• How do you help clients plan around taxes?

The answers reveal the advisor’s incentives, expertise, and alignment with the client’s needs.

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

Brady: I’m often surprised by how many high-income employees have never received a holistic explanation of how their RSUs, 401(k), taxes, and long-term goals fit together. They understand each piece individually, but no one has ever put it into a cohesive plan for them.

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

Brady: Yes — especially executive RSU schedules, deferred compensation opportunities (if available), and advanced tax planning such as strategic Roth conversions or multi-year tax minimization planning. Coordinating these benefits early can make a meaningful difference in long-term net worth.

Get to Know Brady Lochte Financial Advisor for Amazon Employees:

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

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