Your Amgen Benefits & Career: Financial Planning for Employees and Executives

Do you work at Amgen? Get the resources you need and expert insights from financial professionals who specialize in helping Amgen employees make the most of their compensation package and benefits.

Whether you’re a new Amgen employee or you’ve moved up the ranks into a management or executive leadership role over a multi-year career, it’s important to make smart money moves with your income and employee benefits. For example:

✅ Do you know the right moves to make to get the greatest value from the Amgen benefits available to you?

✅If you’re thinking about leaving Amgen for another job or planning to retire from the company in a few years, are you taking the right steps today to ensure you will receive all of the compensation and benefits that you’ve earned?

Get the Most Value from Your Amgen Benefits and Compensation Package

Throughout the year, Amgen provides its employees and executives with updates about their benefits ranging from health insurance and health savings plans to retirement plans like a 401(k), deferred compensation plans, and stock options. While the company offers many useful resources and access to knowledgeable staff who can assist with questions, you’ll also find financial professionals not affiliated with Amgen who specialize in helping Amgen employees make the most of their income and benefits.

Whether you work in the Amgen headquarters in Thousand Oaks, another office location around the country, or remotely from home, you may have questions about your compensation package and benefits better suited for a financial professional who can offer unbiased advice and guidance.

For example, sensitive topics like discussing the steps you should take before quitting your job at Amgen to work elsewhere, protecting yourself in advance of a corporate layoff, or deciding when you should plan to retire are all conversations that may be more comfortable with a trusted financial advisor.

💡 In the Q&A below, you’ll gain insights from financial advisors who work with Amgen employees to help them make smart decisions to get the most value from their compensation and benefits, reduce their money stress, and prepare for a comfortable retirement.

🙋‍♀️ Do you have questions not yet answered? Use the form below to submit questions anonymously and watch this article for updates with answers to your questions. You can also reach out to the financial advisors below to set up an introductory call or contact them with your questions by email.

💸 Smart Money Insights for Amgen Employees & Executives

This page is organized into sections to help you quickly find the information you need and get answers to your questions:

1. Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for Amgen Employees & Executives
2. Get Answers to Your Questions About Your Amgen Benefits and Career
3. Quick Facts & Resources for Amgen Employees
4. Browse Related Articles

Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for Amgen Employees & Executives

Answers to Amgen Employee Questions with Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA®

Hazel Secco is a financial advisor based in Hoboken, New Jersey who specializes in offering financial planning services to Amgen employees. Hazel helps her clients get the most value from their Amgen benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.

Q: As a financial advisor with experience helping Amgen employees save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?

Hazel: As a financial advisor who works closely with women in pharma, I know how overwhelming benefit packages can feel—especially at a place like Amgen. There are so many options, acronyms, and moving parts that it’s hard to know what’s worth paying attention to, let alone what’s best for your situation.

And let’s be honest—most professionals I work with are so focused on doing well in their roles, managing teams, or preparing for the next launch or M&A, that there’s barely time to come up for air, let alone map out a financial strategy. That’s exactly where I come in.

Amgen offers some powerful benefits that, when used thoughtfully, can really move the needle on your long-term financial health. Here’s how I help clients make the most of them.

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP): You can buy Amgen stock at a 5% discount using payroll deductions. I help you decide how that fits into your overall plan—so you’re taking advantage of the discount without overloading on company stock.
• Equity Compensation (RSUs, PSUs, Stock Options): Depending on your role and level, you may receive different types of stock-based awards. I walk you through what they mean, when they vest, how taxes work, and what to do with them to support your bigger financial goals.
• 401(k) and Company Match: Amgen matches 100% of the first 5% you contribute—and they’ll add another 5% even if you contribute nothing. I make sure my clients don’t leave any of that value behind
• Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) & SRP (for Level 7+): These plans let you save even more money pre-tax and get additional company contributions. We look at how this fits into your income and retirement strategy so you’re making smart moves now and later.

At the end of the day, my role is to help you feel confident and in control of your financial life so your hard work pays off not just in your career, but in your future freedom too. Whether your goal is retiring early, making work optional, or simply feeling more organized and clear, I help put all the pieces together in a way that works for you.

Q: Is there a particular benefit available to Amgen employees you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?

Hazel: There are a few really valuable benefits I see Amgen employees missing out on usually because they’re buried in the fine print or not talked about enough. However, they can make a big difference in your long-term planning.

One of the most valuable but most overlooked benefits is the free estate planning documents. As part of your Amgen benefits, you have access to a full estate planning package that would normally cost thousands of dollars if you went through an attorney.

This includes essentials like a Will, Power of Attorney, Living Will, and even a Trust—all at no cost to you. If you haven’t taken advantage of this yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

Another often-overlooked gem is the Retiree Medical Savings Account (RMSA). This is a special account that helps you prepare for future medical expenses in retirement and it comes with double tax advantages. The money you put in grows tax-deferred, and when you use it later for qualified medical expenses, it comes out tax-free.

Plus, Amgen matches up to $1,500 per year of what you contribute. It’s one of the few benefits that helps cover healthcare costs later in life—something many people wish they’d planned for sooner.

These kinds of benefits are easy to miss when you’re focused on the day-to-day demands of work. That’s why I love helping clients dig into what’s available, make the most of it, and feel more confident about what’s ahead.

Q: For Amgen employees thinking about leaving the company to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?

Hazel: Before making a move, whether it’s by choice or due to a layoff, it’s really important to understand how your departure might affect your stock compensation. This is one area I often see overlooked, but it can have a major financial impact if not handled thoughtfully.

If you’re participating in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), the shares you’ve already purchased are yours to keep. That part is usually straightforward. But if you have unvested RSUs, PSUs, or stock options, it’s a different story. In many cases, you may forfeit some or all of your unvested awards when you leave the company.

If you’re resigning to join another firm, I recommend reviewing your equity package before you give notice and using that information when you’re negotiating your new offer. The value of unvested equity you’re walking away from should be part of the conversation, especially if the new company offers equity as well.

If you’re being laid off or offered a severance package, it’s worth asking whether vested options can be exercised over a longer window or if there’s any possibility of accelerated vesting on unvested shares. These are negotiable in some cases, and can make a big difference in the financial outcome.

And it’s not just about the current market value of the stock—you should also consider its future growth potential. If you’ve been at Amgen for a while, you could be walking away from a significant long-term opportunity. Understanding that value upfront gives you more power to make informed decisions and negotiate from a place of clarity.

Q: For Amgen employees who have managed their finances on their own to this point, what would you suggest they consider to help them decide if they should begin working with a financial advisor at this stage in their lives?

Hazel: Most of the women I work with aren’t looking for more information—they’re looking for a trusted partner to help them make thoughtful decisions without having to constantly research or second-guess every move. They’ve built successful careers and accumulated wealth, but they’re at a stage where their time and energy are better spent on things that matter most—family, health, purpose—not managing complex benefit strategies.

Financial planning isn’t something you do once and forget about. Life evolves, markets shift, and your goals change. If you’re doing it all yourself, it can be hard to keep up with all the moving pieces in a way that’s sustainable.

So the real question is: Do you want to keep managing all of this on your own?

Or are you ready to have someone by your side who understands your industry, your benefits, and how to help you make confident, aligned decisions for your future?

When you’re honest with yourself about where you want to focus your energy next, the answer usually becomes clear.

Q: What questions do you recommend Amgen employees ask financial advisors they’re considering hiring to help them decide if they’re a good fit?

Hazel: Choosing the right financial advisor is a personal decision—and it’s important to find someone who not only understands the numbers, but also understands you.

Here are a few thoughtful questions I recommend asking.

• Are you a fiduciary? Not all advisors are held to this standard at all times. It’s an important question that helps you understand how the relationship will be structured—and whether your needs will always come first.
• Are you a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)? Working with a CFP® ensures your advisor has met rigorous education, experience, and ethical standards—and is trained to provide advice across all areas of your financial life, not just investments.
• Do you have experience working with people like me? This is key—especially for Amgen professionals navigating equity compensation, deferred comp, early retirement planning, or complex career transitions. You want someone who understands the details of your benefit options and how to help you use them intentionally.
• What does your process look like, and how will we work together?
• Ask whether their approach is personalized and collaborative, and whether they focus on the full picture like integrating stock compensation with retirement goals, tax planning, and lifestyle needs.
• How will you help me feel more confident and clear about my financial decisions? The right advisor shouldn’t just give you data—they should help you make decisions that feel aligned, empowering, and easy to follow through on.

And above all, trust your gut. You deserve to work with someone who listens to you, respects your priorities, and helps you make progress in a way that feels sustainable and supportive.

Get to Know Hazel Secco, Financial Advisor for Amgen Employees:

View Hazel’s profile page on Wealthtender or visit her website to learn more.

Quick Facts & Resources for Amgen Employees

🙋‍♀️ Have Questions About Your Amgen Benefits or Career?

📰 Browse Related Articles

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About the Author

Brian Thorp

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Brian and his wife live in Texas, enjoying the diversity of Houston and the vibrancy of Austin.

With over 25 years in the financial services industry, Brian is applying his experience and passion at Wealthtender to help more people enjoy life with less money stress.

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