Charitable gifting strategies

Year-end Charitable Gifting Strategies

With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed in late 2017, many things have changed about how to support charities in a tax-efficient manner. The days of writing checks on December 31st may no longer be the best option.
Secure Act 2.0 for Retirees

SECURE ACT 2.0 for Retirees

While the changes resulting from the "SECURE Act 2.0" are many, there are a few key components that are relevant to individuals nearing or in retirement.

9 Questions To Ask A Flat Fee (or any!) Financial Advisor As You Near Retirement

Here is a list of the 9 best questions I have personally been asked over the years that I believe are important, along with comments and answers for my own firm...

Need a new car?  Now might actually be a good time to buy.

As the pandemic has impacted many parts of the economy, the one area I seem to hear a lot about lately is car prices. With used car prices up about 31% and new car prices up 11% in the last year, you may think I’m crazy to say right now might be a good time to buy....

Year-End Tax Planning Strategies for Individuals

Currently all the focus in the tax world is the potential “Build Back Better” bill being debated in Congress. But without knowing if or when the bill will be passed and what the final version will include, there are still a number of proactive...

Should you convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA?

With the potential tax law changes impacting some popular Roth conversion strategies beginning in 2022, many people are asking whether they should go ahead and convert some of their IRA assets to Roth IRAs before the end of the year. As in most things in...

Elimination of the ACA “Subsidy Cliff”?

As part of the recent tax proposals, one potential change that’s not getting much attention in the early retirement community is an elimination of the affordable care act (ACA) “subsidy cliff.” As I wrote back in June, previously there was an income limit based...

How to fully utilize a Donor-Advised Fund

An incredibly useful planning tool for charitable gifting is a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF). A DAF allows you to set aside funds for future charitable gifts while receiving a tax deduction now. Donor-Advised Funds are especially useful for charitably inclined individuals...
How to save $1 million completely tax-free

How to save $1 million completely tax free

My favorite retirement account is a Health Savings Account, or HSA. I know, I’m weird. But hear me out. An HSA is the best of both worlds. It has the benefits of an IRA (pre-tax funding) and a Roth IRA (tax-free withdrawals) as long as they’re used for health care...

Your Early Retirement Checklist

The path to early retirement can be simple: spend considerably less than you earn, invest wisely and let the magic of compounding do the hard work for you. But what happens once you reach your own financial independence (FI) goal? Over the past 13 years, I’ve...