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How a Combined M&A and Wealth Advisory Strategy Secures Your Financial Future

April 28, 2025

For many mid-sized business owners, selling your company is more than just a transaction—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime wealth event.

But here’s the hard truth: without the right strategy, much of that hard-earned wealth can slip through your fingers—lost to taxes, market volatility, poor reinvestment decisions, or legal exposure.

This is where a combined M&A and wealth advisory strategy becomes essential. Together, they don’t just help you sell well—they ensure you, and your family, create and sustain wealth from the sale of your business.

Why You Can’t Afford to Treat M&A and Wealth Planning Separately

When preparing for a sale, many owners focus solely on getting the highest purchase price. But what you walk away with—and how secure those funds remain post-sale—depends just as much on how the deal is structured and what you do after the transaction closes.

An M&A Advisor Helps You:

  • Maximize valuation
  • Negotiate favorable deal terms
  • Structure the sale tax-efficiently
  • Minimize post-sale liabilities
  • A Wealth Advisor Helps You:

    • Allocate proceeds for long-term financial security
    • Minimize your tax exposure
    • Protect your assets from risk
    • Plan for retirement, estate transfer, or your next venture

    Together, these professionals form a unified strategy that’s bigger than the sale itself—it’s a roadmap for the rest of your financial life.

    Navigating Economic Uncertainty: Why Timing Matters More Than Ever

    Today’s business environment is anything but stable. Potentially rising interest rates, inflation pressures, geopolitical tension, evolving tax laws and the other ‘T’ word (tariffs!) have made financial forecasting more complex—and riskier—for business sellers.

    Ramifications For Business Sellers

    These and other factors have a direct impact on mid-sized business owners in the USA and Canada looking to sell their business in the near future, because:

    • Valuations are fluctuating. Buyers are cautious and placing a premium on financial clarity and defensibility.
    • Capital gains tax laws may change. In both the U.S. and Canada, potential tax reform could impact your post-sale proceeds.
    • US tariffs currently remain uncertain, at best, impacting business growth and profitability forecasts.
    • Reinvestment risk is high. With markets volatile, poor planning could expose your new wealth to avoidable losses.
    • Litigation risk is rising. Post-sale claims related to reps, warranties, or disputes can come back to bite—unless you’re protected.

    During these uncertain times, it is essential that your exit strategy includes both a skilled M&A advisor and a wealth advisor working in sync, as Woodbridge does in partnership with its parent company Mariner Wealth Advisors.

    5 Benefits of a Combined M&A and Wealth Strategy

    When your M&A advisor and wealth advisor work together, you gain a powerful, well-rounded approach to your business exit.

    Here are five key benefits of aligning both strategies to maximize value and protect your financial future:

    1 | Optimize Tax Efficiency

    Whether it’s capital gains strategies, estate planning, or cross-border tax structuring, coordination between your M&A and wealth advisors ensures no money is left on the table.

    2 | Safeguard Sale Proceeds

    Trusts, holding companies, and other asset protection tools can be set up before a sale to shield proceeds from lawsuits or creditors.

    3 | Reinvest with Purpose

    Avoid hasty post-sale investments; a comprehensive wealth plan balances growth, security, and liquidity aligned with your lifestyle goals.

    4 | Plan for Family and Legacy

    Selling your business can unlock generational wealth—if it’s structured with inheritance, philanthropy, and estate transfer in mind from the start.

    5 | Avoid Costly Mistakes

    From selling to the wrong buyer to overpaying taxes to underinsuring your risk—having a collaborative team ensures blind spots like these don’t derail your long-term success.

    A Major Milestone Deserves a Long-Term Plan

    The number on the purchase agreement is just the beginning. What really matters is how much of it ends up working for you and your family in the years ahead. And in these uncertain times, there’s little room for error.

    Now, more than ever, you need an M&A advisor and wealth advisor on your team to collaborate early in the exit process, so that you get a holistic exit strategy designed to:

    • Maximize your after-tax outcome
    • Reduce post-sale risks
    • Turn business equity into lasting financial freedom

    Because a truly successful exit strategy should ensure that every dollar of your hard-earned wealth is protected, optimized, and working for your future.

    Looking to Sell Your Business in the Next 1–3 Years?

    Woodbridge helps mid-sized business owners in the U.S. and Canada plan smarter exits with comprehensive M&A services, coupled with wealth advisory support via our parent company Mariner Wealth Advisors. Let’s talk bout how to secure your legacy – book an obligation free appointment here