Major Estate Tax Changes Are Still Around The Corner
What do you do when the Go-To Strategies just won’t cut it? The Federal Lifetime Exemption is the total amount of wealth that you can give away tax-free in your lifetime. Importantly, it is the…
2022 Market Outlook: The Chocolate Twisted Pretzel
Pretzel Logic refers to reasoning that bends back and twists until it does not make sense. (Pretzel Logic also is a fantastic, bluesy song by Steely Dan that refers to time travel.) A great example…
2021 Year-End Financial Checklist
Temperatures are dropping and honey hams are flying off the shelves while holiday decorations are popping up left and right. The end of the year always seems to come and go and before we know…
Am I “Tax Locked” In My Home?
As retirees age, it often becomes apparent that the home in which they raised families may not be the home they remain in long term. It may be more square footage than needed, or may…
Looking to Make a Move Prior to Selling Your Home?
Consider a Pledged Asset Line Many retirees consider the benefits of downsizing their home at some point. According to Zillow, 46% of Baby Boomers who sold their homes in 2017 were in the process of…
Tax and Estate Planning Strategies to Consider Before the 2022 Tax Law Change
Written by Eileen Stevens and Lisa Neira The House Ways and Means Committee recently unveiled their draft tax plan, part of President Biden’s new “American Families Plan” proposal. While many ideas were floated to increase…
Finding (& Funding) Your Retirement Home
Retirement is a time of transition. Those approaching retirement often look forward to the freedom that will be plentiful once they stop working. That flexibility not only allows them to dictate how they spend their time,…
Could I Reduce My Tax Bill to $0 through Charitable Gifting?
In light of COVID’s devastating impact on many not-for-profit groups and organizations, the IRS included a provision in the 2020 CARES Act (and more recently extended through 2021) that taxpayers can deduct 100% of cash…
Net Unrealized Appreciation Strategy: Put Your After-Tax Contributions to Work
So you’ve taken our advice and shucked your 401(k) oyster to discover a shiny, valuable pearl sitting within! After closer examination, the pearl seems to check all the Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) criteria boxes: The…
How Does a Mega Backdoor Roth 401(k) Work?
What do my dog (Sherlock) and hamster (Snuffles) have to do with Mega Backdoor Roth 401(k) contributions? Other than being super cute, these intelligent creatures are masters at squirreling away their treats for later. Sherlock…