1. Capture the evidence before interpreting it
Keep the current payslip, offer letter, benefits schedule, bonus terms, equity documents and relocation policy with the case. Record the page or clause behind each material value. If a number has no source, label it as an assumption rather than allowing it to look confirmed.
- Base salary and pay frequency
- Target and guaranteed bonus terms
- Equity type, quantity, vesting and stated value
- Employee and employer retirement contributions
- Healthcare, insurance and other employer-paid benefits
- Relocation allowance, moving costs and clawback terms
2. Separate spendable cash from the wider package
Take-home pay, retirement contributions, employer benefits and equity answer different questions. Adding them into one unexplained total makes a package look more precise than it is. Show each component, then state exactly what a total includes.
3. Use household-specific costs
A city index cannot know whether a client needs childcare, private health cover, a second car or a particular commute. Ask for monthly estimates for housing, healthcare, childcare, transport and other recurring costs. Keep the values editable and attribute them to the client or adviser.
4. Compare more than the first year
One-off moving costs and allowances can dominate year one. Show one, three and five-year views so a relocation payment is not mistaken for recurring compensation. Keep promotions, exchange-rate changes and investment returns out of the base case unless the adviser deliberately adds a scenario.
5. End with questions, not false certainty
Residence, filing status, split years, equity taxation, social security and benefit treatment can change the result. A report should identify these issues for review and never imply that software has resolved them.
- Are both tax residencies and the move date confirmed?
- Does the destination salary include compulsory retirement contributions?
- How are bonus and equity taxed and when do they vest?
- What medical costs sit outside the employer plan?
- Are any relocation payments repayable if the employee leaves?
Inspect the fictional sample reports, including calculation versions, assumptions, review questions and source links.