A Special Offer for Southwest Airlines Pilots and Employees
We know the plan, we know the career, and we enjoy the people — the 20% discount is our way of saying thanks.
A career worth planning around.
We work with families across a range of professions, but we've spent real time learning the Southwest Airlines picture — particularly for SWAPA-represented pilots. FAA Age 65. Variable monthly income driven by the bid line. Concentrated peak-earning years. A 401(k) and profit-sharing plan with specifics most generalist advisors have never opened. Tax decisions driven by where you base vs. where you live.
It's not the only thing we do — but it's something we're genuinely good at, and we like the people. The discount is our way of making it easy to start a conversation.
What we know about the Southwest Airlines retirement picture
The SWA 401(k) and profit sharing
Southwest Airlines offers a 401(k) plan with an employer match, along with a profit-sharing contribution that can meaningfully boost total retirement savings — especially in strong earning years. Plan specifics vary by employee group and collectively bargained agreement, but the common questions we help answer:
- How should I split between pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax contributions (if available to you)?
- How does the mega-backdoor Roth apply, where in-plan Roth conversions are permitted?
- What's the right investment mix inside the 401(k) given my other accounts?
- When should I roll old balances over — and when shouldn't I?
- How does profit sharing interact with annual contribution limits?
SWAPA and the pilot-specific picture
SWAPA — the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association — provides extensive retirement resources for its members, including retirement education, seminars, and member benefits. Our work complements those resources, not replaces them. If you want a second set of eyes on how it all fits with your broader financial life, that's where we can help.
Planning issues that come up regularly for pilots:
- FAA Age 65 mandatory retirement — planning backwards from a fixed date
- Variable monthly income — the bid line, override pay, overtime, and how to save consistently when pay isn't
- State-of-residence planning — many pilots have real optionality on where to establish domicile; the tax implications over a career can be meaningful
- Social Security strategy — peak earners often benefit from delayed claiming, but it depends on spousal earnings and health
- Disability and loss-of-license — coordinating SWAPA benefits with outside coverage
- Second careers — many pilots work after Age 65; how the income interacts with the retirement plan
- Medicare vs. retiree health — the transition between age 65 and your retirement date
For all SWA employees, not just pilots
The 20% discount applies to every SWA employee: pilots, flight attendants, ground operations, maintenance, dispatchers, customer service, corporate staff, and retirees. If you work or worked at Southwest, you qualify.
The planning issues vary — a flight attendant's bid structure is different from a pilot's, and corporate stock compensation has its own set of questions — but the underlying philosophy is the same: one plan, coordinated across accounts, aligned with your real life.
How we get started
- Introductory call (30 minutes, no cost). We talk about your situation, answer questions, and see if we're a fit.
- Discovery. We gather the relevant documents — 401(k) statement, outside accounts, Social Security estimate, any existing plans.
- Plan and recommendations. We put together a clear, written view of where you are, where you want to go, and what to change.
- Implementation. If you choose to engage us for ongoing management, we implement the portfolio changes and coordinate the other moving pieces.
- Ongoing. Quarterly check-ins, annual reviews, and open access whenever life changes.
Wilco Financial, LLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Southwest Airlines Co. or SWAPA (Southwest Airlines Pilots Association). References to SWA and SWAPA are for identification of our area of practice only.
Ready to start your journey with Wilco?
It all starts with a conversation.