Joe LoPresti: Achieving Freedom Through Planning

About Joe LoPresti: Joseph F. LoPresti is the founder and CEO of ClearPath Family Office and Arlington Wealth Management, bringing nearly four decades of experience in wealth advisory. Disillusioned by Wall Street’s sales-driven culture early in his career, Joe developed a proprietary investment methodology focused on wealth preservation, proactive planning, and business exit strategies. Over the past 25+ years, he has helped business owners and families align their wealth with business strategy, ensuring financial security and legacy preservation. A dedicated family man and 3rd generation winemaker, Joe has been married for 35 years and has three daughters who share his passion for life and tradition. He is also the co-author of Exit by Design, a blueprint for business owners navigating succession and transition planning.

In this episode, Ryan and Joe LoPresti discuss:

• How business owners can achieve financial independence through strategic exit planning
• Why is integrating professional advisors critical to avoiding costly planning mistakes
• What a fractional family office model offers to entrepreneurs building and transitioning wealth
• When and how to shift focus from business growth to long-term value protection and legacy

Key Takeaways:

• One-third of business owners will leave their companies involuntarily due to unpredictable life events such as death, disability, or disputes, making transition-readiness and contingency planning essential for preserving both personal and business wealth.
• Failing to coordinate professionals—like an attorney and insurance agent—can result in significant financial exposure, as shown when a client’s trust assets became vulnerable because his liability policy did not recognize the trust structure.
• Determining a business owner’s “freedom point” involves projecting lifetime income needs and aligning them with current assets and enterprise value to define the moment when work becomes optional and full personal autonomy is achievable.
• Removing owner dependency from a business not only boosts its attractiveness to buyers and increases valuation but also grants the current owner more time, flexibility, and control both before and after their exit.

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