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Who We Help

Financial Planning for
Florida Firefighters.

Your pension, DROP, and 457 plan are among the most powerful retirement tools available to anyone. We help Florida firefighters understand them, connect them, and make every benefit work as hard as they do.

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Your pension, 457, and DROP shouldn't be planned in isolation. We connect them into one clear retirement strategy.
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Your Benefits

The Benefits Florida Firefighters Have Access To.

Florida firefighters have access to retirement benefits most workers can only dream about — but those benefits come with complex decisions that HR materials rarely explain clearly. Understanding how each piece fits together is the difference between a comfortable retirement and leaving significant money on the table.

Pension / Defined Benefit Plan
A guaranteed monthly income for life based on your years of service and salary. Depending on your department, this is either through FRS or a local pension system. The multiplier, retirement age, and survivor options vary significantly.
DROP — Deferred Retirement Option
One of the most valuable and most misunderstood benefits available. During DROP, your pension accumulates in a tax-deferred account while you continue working. The investment choices you make inside DROP — and when you exit — have major long-term implications.
457 Deferred Compensation Plan
Unlike a 401(k), the 457 plan allows penalty-free withdrawals before age 59½ — a significant advantage for firefighters who often retire in their 40s or early 50s. Maximizing contributions and choosing between pre-tax and Roth options requires a strategy.
Life Insurance & Survivor Benefits
Pension survivor options, group life insurance, and private coverage need to be coordinated carefully. Choosing the wrong pension option at retirement — without proper insurance in place — can leave your family significantly exposed.
Largo Firefighters — Your Pension Is Different
Largo operates a private pension — not FRS. The multipliers, DROP options, and 457 rules are unique to your department. We have a dedicated guide just for you.

Largo pension compensation note: Florida law says that for service under collective bargaining agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2011, up to 300 hours per year of overtime may be included in compensation, but only as specified in the plan or collective bargaining agreement. That means overtime inclusion is optional, not automatic. The Largo plan does not include overtime in pension compensation.

FRS vs. Local Pension

Understanding Your Pension System.

Not all Florida firefighters are on the same pension system. Most participate in the Florida Retirement System (FRS), but some departments — including Largo — maintain their own private pension with different rules, contribution rates, and multipliers.

If you're on FRS, you were given a choice between the Pension Plan (a guaranteed monthly benefit) and the Investment Plan (a 401(k)-style account). If you're still within your election window or considering a transfer, this decision deserves careful analysis.

FRS Special Risk Class: Firefighters qualify for the Special Risk Class, which provides a 3% multiplier per year of service — significantly higher than the standard FRS rate. At 25 years of service, that's a 75% of average final compensation pension — one of the strongest defined benefit plans in the country.

FeatureFRS Pension PlanFRS Investment Plan
Benefit typeGuaranteed monthly income for lifeAccount balance you manage
Multiplier3% per year (Special Risk)No multiplier — market dependent
DROP eligibleYes — up to 60 monthsNo
Investment riskNone — state bears the riskAll on you
PortabilityLimited — stay in FL governmentFully portable
Best forCareer firefighters staying in FloridaThose likely to leave public service
Our Process

How We Work With Firefighters.

Most firefighters receive limited guidance on their benefits — a brief HR presentation, maybe a seminar from the union. We go deeper. Here's how we typically work through the planning process with a firefighter client.

1
Free 15-Minute Discovery Call
We learn about your department, years of service, pension type, and what's keeping you up at night. No paperwork, no commitment — just a conversation to see if we're the right fit.
2
Full Benefits Review
We dig into your pension details, DROP eligibility and options, 457 plan balance and investment selections, and any group life insurance or coverage gaps. Most firefighters have never seen all of this in one place.
3
Retirement Income Plan
We model your retirement income across multiple scenarios — different DROP timing, pension option choices, 457 withdrawal sequences, Social Security timing — and show you the full picture in plain English.
4
Ongoing Partnership
Life changes, and so does your plan. We meet regularly to adjust your strategy as your retirement date approaches, your family situation evolves, or tax laws shift.
Common Questions

Questions Firefighters Ask Us.

For most career firefighters who plan to stay in Florida public service, the Pension Plan is the stronger choice. The 3% Special Risk multiplier, DROP eligibility, and the state bearing all investment risk make it exceptionally valuable. The Investment Plan makes more sense if you're likely to leave public service before completing a full career. This decision deserves a full analysis of your specific situation — it's one of the most consequential financial choices you'll make.
DROP timing is one of the most impactful decisions a firefighter makes. The optimal entry and exit depends on your pension benefit amount, the investment options available inside DROP, your expected rate of return, and your plans after separation. The maximum is typically 60 months — but more time in DROP isn't always better. We model multiple scenarios to find the timing that maximizes your lifetime income.
Most firefighters retire in their late 40s or early 50s — well before age 59½. With a 401(k) or IRA, withdrawals before that age trigger a 10% penalty. The 457 plan has no such penalty. That means your 457 balance is fully accessible the day you separate from service, making it an ideal bridge account to fund expenses before Social Security and Medicare eligibility.
At retirement, most pensions offer multiple payment options — single life (highest monthly benefit, stops at your death), joint and survivor (lower benefit, continues for a spouse), and variations in between. The right choice depends on your health, your spouse's health and income, your life insurance coverage, and your other assets. This is an irrevocable decision — it deserves careful analysis before you sign anything.
Yes. We work with firefighters across Florida — FRS departments and local pension departments alike. We also offer city-specific guidance for departments with unique pension structures, including a dedicated guide for Largo Firefighters who are on a private pension system. We meet in person at our four Florida locations or virtually for firefighters anywhere in the state.
"
Florida firefighters have some of the strongest retirement benefits available anywhere. Our job is to make sure they actually use them to their full potential.
Dan DiLascia · Founder / Principal · Base Wealth Management

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Ready to See the Full Picture?

Let's Review Your
Benefits Together.

Most firefighters have never seen their pension, DROP, and 457 plan analyzed together in one place. That's exactly where we start. The first call is free.

Book a Free Call(941) 203-4999Free · No obligation · Fiduciary · Statewide
Important Disclosures

BASE WEALTH MANAGEMENT is an SEC-registered investment adviser and offers advisory services in jurisdictions where it is properly registered, notice-filed, or otherwise exempt from registration requirements. Base Wealth Management renders individualized responses to persons in a particular state only after complying with applicable SEC and state regulatory requirements or pursuant to an applicable exemption or exclusion. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and there can be no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful. There is no guarantee that any portfolio will achieve its investment objectives or outperform any benchmark or index.

Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk including the potential loss of the entire principal invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and there can be no assurance that any specific investment will be profitable. There are also no assurances that any portfolio will match or outperform a particular benchmark or index.

This material is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. It does not constitute tax or legal advice. References to market indices are for context only. Consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

BASE WEALTH MANAGEMENT does not represent, warranty, or imply that the services or methods of analysis employed by the firm can or will successfully identify market tops or bottoms, or insulate clients from losses due to market corrections or declines.

BASE WEALTH MANAGEMENT will provide all prospective clients with a copy of our current and prior to commencing an Advisory relationship. Existing clients will receive a copy of these documents on an annual basis. A copy of our current ADV Part 2 Brochure is available at adviserinfo.sec.gov.

The Retirement Reality Check is an educational tool intended to help individuals identify areas that may warrant further planning discussion. It is not a financial plan, investment recommendation, or guarantee of retirement readiness.

Statistics cited on this page are drawn from third-party research and are provided for general educational context only. Individual circumstances will vary. 1,2,5 Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), 2023 Retirement Confidence Survey. ebri.org. 3 Federal Reserve, Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households (2023). federalreserve.gov. 4 Federal Reserve, Survey of Consumer Finances (2022). 5 Vanguard, How America Saves (2023); National Institute on Retirement Security, Retirement Insecurity 2024.

 ·   ·   ·  regarding Compliance & Regulatory information.