How his blue-collar upbringing shaped a career serving entrepreneurs, tradespeople and their families
For Bryan Ruano, understanding a business requires more than reviewing an investment account or recommending a financial product. It begins with understanding how the company actually operates.
When Bryan meets with a business owner, he studies how the company generates revenue, reviews its profit-and-loss statements, considers its cash flow and tax position, and asks where the owner wants the business—and the family behind it—to be in the future.
The objective is not simply to identify what the business is making today. It is to understand what the owner is building.
A company may be profitable, but is it creating retirement security for its owner? Is its tax strategy aligned with its long-term objectives? Could the business operate independently if the owner stepped away? If the company were sold five years from now, what might influence its value—and what would the owner need to begin doing today to prepare?
These are the questions that guide Bryan’s work with business owners through Corrales & Co., a firm focused on integrating wealth management, proactive tax strategy, estate planning and business-exit planning.
Looking Beyond a Conventional 401(k)
Retirement planning is one area in which Bryan believes business owners may need a more customized analysis.
Many entrepreneurs are familiar with 401(k) plans, but fewer understand how a cash balance plan may fit into a broader retirement strategy. A cash balance plan is an employer-sponsored defined benefit plan. Depending on factors such as the owner’s age, employee demographics, compensation, business profitability and the plan’s design, it may permit contributions that are significantly different from those available through a 401(k).
That does not mean a cash balance plan is appropriate for every company.
The employer generally assumes ongoing funding obligations, and the plan must be properly designed, administered and maintained. Business owners must also consider the cost of covering eligible employees, the predictability of future cash flow and whether the company can support the plan over time.
Bryan’s approach begins with the business rather than the retirement product. He evaluates whether the company has sufficient and reasonably consistent profitability, what the owner hopes to accomplish and how a proposed plan could affect both the employer and its employees.
The analysis may conclude that a cash balance plan is worth considering, that a 401(k) or another arrangement is more appropriate, or that the company is not presently in a position to implement the proposed strategy.
Planning for the Eventual Value of the Business
Bryan also encourages business owners to think beyond their immediate tax bill.
An owner who wants to sell or transition a company several years from now must first understand what creates value within the business. Profitability is important, but so are reliable financial records, recurring revenue, operational systems, capable employees and the company’s ability to function without depending entirely on its founder.
Instead of waiting for a transaction to become imminent, Bryan helps owners consider the potential transaction early and work backward.
What would make the company more attractive to a future buyer? What financial or operational weaknesses could reduce its value? What personal financial resources will the owner need after leaving the business? What happens if the sale is delayed, the valuation is lower than expected or the owner ultimately decides not to sell?
No advisor can guarantee what a business will be worth five years from now. The value will depend on financial performance, market conditions, industry trends, buyer demand and numerous other factors. Nevertheless, disciplined preparation can help an owner understand the variables that may influence a future transaction.
A Potential Tax Opportunity for Certain C Corporations
One strategy that may arise in early-stage business and exit planning involves Qualified Small Business Stock, commonly known as QSBS, under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code.
For qualifying stock acquired after July 4, 2025, an eligible noncorporate shareholder may potentially exclude from federal capital-gains taxation an amount generally limited to the greater of $15 million or 10 times the shareholder’s adjusted basis in the qualifying stock. The specific exclusion and holding-period rules depend on when the stock was acquired and whether all statutory requirements are satisfied.
This is not a general exemption for every C corporation, and it should not be characterized as an automatic tax “loophole.”
Eligibility depends on several requirements involving the corporation, its assets, its business activities, the issuance of the stock and the shareholder’s holding period. Certain professional services, financial businesses, banking, insurance, hospitality and other activities may be excluded. State tax treatment may also differ from federal treatment.
Because qualification can depend on decisions made when a company is formed or when shares are issued, the subject may need to be addressed well before a potential sale. Business owners considering such a strategy should work with qualified tax and legal professionals to determine how the law applies to their circumstances.
When Wealth Exists but Cash Is Temporarily Unavailable
The case study supplied by Corrales & Co. illustrates another situation Bryan and his colleagues may help a business owner evaluate: the difference between wealth and liquidity.
A person may have considerable net worth spread across a company, real estate, retirement accounts and taxable investments, yet still lack the cash required for an immediate business or personal obligation.
Consider a hypothetical owner who needs $250,000 within several weeks but expects a liquidity event approximately 60 days later. The need might involve business working capital, payroll timing, a real estate transaction, a tax payment or another time-sensitive commitment.
The planning question is not automatically, “How can this person borrow?” It is: “Which available option presents the most appropriate combination of cost, timing and risk?”
One possibility may be a securities-backed line of credit, or SBLOC. This type of credit line uses eligible securities in a non-retirement investment account as collateral, allowing the investments to remain in the account while they secure the loan.
An SBLOC may provide temporary access to capital without requiring the borrower to sell investments immediately. However, keeping the investments also means remaining exposed to market fluctuations. The interest rate may be variable, and a decline in the pledged portfolio can result in a maintenance call.
If the borrower cannot provide additional collateral or repay the required amount, the lender may sell pledged securities—potentially without allowing the borrower to choose what is sold. That liquidation may occur during unfavorable market conditions and may create tax consequences. SBLOCs are generally demand loans, and their proceeds cannot be used to purchase or carry securities. Retirement accounts generally cannot be pledged.
For those reasons, the presence of an available credit line does not mean borrowing is the right answer.
The alternatives should also be evaluated. Selling securities may generate taxes and permanently reduce market exposure. A mortgage, home-equity line or business loan may involve additional underwriting, closing costs or delays. Waiting for the anticipated cash event may be the least expensive choice if postponement does not create a meaningful consequence.
Before considering an SBLOC, the owner and advisors should identify what is expected to repay it, how reliable that repayment source is and what the contingency plan would be if the money arrives late or is smaller than expected.
As the case study emphasizes, this is often a sequencing problem rather than a solvency problem. The objective is not to create permanent leverage. It is to determine whether temporary borrowing, selling another asset, using conventional financing or simply waiting offers the most appropriate path after the trade-offs have been examined.
Honoring His Blue-Collar Roots
Bryan’s commitment to business owners is deeply personal.
He was raised in Guatemala by blue-collar parents. From an early age, he saw the discipline, sacrifice and physical effort required to earn a living and support a family. That upbringing gave him a lasting respect for people who build their livelihoods with their hands, skills and determination.
Today, he feels a particular connection to general contractors, plumbers, electricians and other skilled-trade business owners.
Many of these entrepreneurs have spent years becoming exceptional at their craft. They have created jobs, served their communities and assumed the risks of ownership. Yet they may devote so much attention to customers, employees and daily operations that their own retirement, tax and succession planning receives less attention.
Bryan sees serving these businesses as one way of honoring his upbringing and the work ethic his parents demonstrated.
His purpose is not to separate the owner’s personal financial life from the company. It is to recognize that, for many entrepreneurs entrepreneurs, the two are inseparable. The business may represent the owner’s primary income, largest asset, retirement plan and family legacy.
His Five-Year Vision Is About Family
When Bryan is asked where he sees himself in five years, his answer is not limited to revenue or professional growth.
Within approximately two years, he would like his wife to join the business. During the following three years, he hopes to strengthen the company’s infrastructure, develop its team and implement systems that allow it to operate effectively without requiring his constant physical presence.
His personal objective is to spend approximately two months each summer with his wife and daughters.
Bryan expects that technology—including video meetings, cloud-based platforms and modern telephone systems—will allow him to remain accessible when genuinely necessary. However, his larger goal is to build an organization with people and processes capable of serving clients consistently while he is away.
In many respects, it is the same principle he discusses with other entrepreneurs: a strong business should eventually provide its owner with choices.
That does not happen automatically. It requires documented procedures, dependable employees, appropriate technology and a willingness to develop leaders who can make decisions without the founder controlling every detail.
For Bryan, business growth is not an end in itself. It is a way to create time, strengthen family relationships and ensure that years of hard work produce something enduring.
His professional and personal goals ultimately share the same purpose: transforming business success into greater freedom, security and meaning.
Start With a Clearer Picture of Your Business
If you are a business owner considering retirement-plan options, preparing for a future transition or evaluating how your company fits into your personal financial life, the first step is understanding where you stand today.
Connect with Bryant Ruano and Corrales & Co. to begin a conversation about your business, priorities and long-term objectives.
Call Bryant Ruano at 786-707-7796 or visit CorralesCo.com to learn more or request a consultation.
A consultation does not guarantee that any particular strategy, product or service will be recommended or available. Any recommendations must be based on the client’s individual circumstances and completed review.
Important Disclosures
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or individualized investment, lending, retirement-plan, tax, accounting or legal advice. The strategies discussed may not be appropriate or available for every business owner or investor.
Cash balance plans are subject to funding, plan-design, nondiscrimination, administration and other legal requirements. Qualified Small Business Stock treatment under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code depends on the corporation, shareholder, stock issuance, holding period, business activity and other applicable requirements. Federal and state tax treatment may differ. Business owners should consult qualified tax, legal and retirement-plan professionals regarding their individual circumstances.
A securities-backed line of credit, or SBLOC, uses eligible securities as collateral. A decline in the value of pledged securities may result in a maintenance call, a demand for additional collateral or repayment, or the involuntary sale of securities. The lender may sell pledged securities without advance notice and without allowing the borrower to select which securities are sold. Such a sale may occur under unfavorable market conditions and may create tax consequences. Interest rates and borrowing costs may increase. SBLOCs are generally demand loans, and proceeds may not be used to purchase or carry securities. Qualified retirement accounts generally may not be pledged. Eligibility, rates, terms and collateral requirements are determined by the lender.
Any discussion of potential business value, tax treatment, liquidity or financial outcomes is illustrative and does not guarantee a particular result. Actual outcomes depend on individual circumstances, market conditions, applicable laws and other factors that may change over time.
Investment products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed and may lose value. Readers should consult their own financial, tax and legal professionals before implementing any financial strategy.
Additional information about securities-backed lines of credit and their risks is available through FINRA.
