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Mike Powers featured in CNBC for Retirement Planning

November 8, 2021

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jasmin Suknanan at CNBC on the importance of saving for retirement. In Ms. Suknanan's article, one of the things she focused on was calculating how much money you'll need to fund your retirement. “The 4% rule is this idea...

Should you convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA?

October 25, 2021

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...

Q3 2021 Market Review

October 6, 2021

Global stock and bond markets were mostly flat in the third quarter, with the exception of emerging market stocks. See how each asset class performed below: Read More... Looking for a trusted partner to help you accomplish your financial goals? Reach...

Elimination of the ACA “Subsidy Cliff”?

September 30, 2021

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...

Strategies to consider due to the recent tax law proposals

September 20, 2021

By now, you probably have heard that the House Ways & Means Committee released proposed changes to the tax code last week. If you’d like to read the full 881 pages, here is a link. For those of you who don’t have the time or desire to read all 881 pages, you may...

Why I Switched to Flat Fees

September 15, 2021

As Manuka Financial continues to thrive, one thing that I always prioritize is putting the interests of my clients first. In that regard, there is a relatively new fee structure that I believe is at the leading edge of financial planning / advising: the fixed flat...

How to fully utilize a Donor-Advised Fund

September 8, 2021

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

September 2, 2021

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

August 16, 2021

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...

Financial Planning Using Your Tax Return

August 4, 2021

It’s no secret that taxes can play a large role in your ability to retire early and stay financially independent. But are you fully utilizing the available deductions, credits, and other tax planning strategies available to you? Here are some financial planning...

Q2 2021 Market Review

July 7, 2021

Stock and bond markets were up in the second quarter. See how each asset class performed, including a discussion on inflation from Nobel laureate Eugene Fama, below: Read More... Looking for a trusted partner to help you accomplish your financial goals? Reach...

Solo Business Owners: How to qualify for health insurance tax credits while making over $400k per year

June 15, 2021

With the recent passage of the American Rescue Plan in March, many more Americans are now eligible for health insurance premium tax credit assistance, a tax credit that reduces your health insurance costs. Prior to the recent changes passed in March 2021, there was a...

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