Tax Efficiency 101 – How We Save Your Tax Dollars One of the things that we pride ourselves on is our work with clients on tax efficiency. What do we mean by that? Globally speaking, something is “tax-efficient” if it is taxed at a lower rate than an alternative. Basically, tax efficiency refers to doing …
Tax Planning
Roth vs. Traditional Contributions
Roth vs. Traditional Contributions For those actively working, there are many benefits and other financial decisions to make each year. One key decision is associated with your employer savings plan. Many of us hear the term Roth and aren’t quite sure what it means. It is a type of contribution that you can make to …
3 Key Principles – Planning for Retirement
We get it. Finances can sometimes feel stressful and complicated. Life is a series of events – some simple, others complex. Planning for retirement is one of the more complex. That’s why we are dedicating a portion of our newsletter to specifically address some of the most pressing retirement planning related topics and concerns for …
7 Tax Essentials
7 Tax Essentials for Snowbirds Snowbirds frequently head to places like Florida, Arizona, or California in the winter months, and come back during the summer months. Before you pack up and fly away, here are 7 tax essentials to help you figure out the tax side of being a snowbird. Decide on your “tax residence.” State …
Secure Act 2.0
In a further attempt to expand and promote retirement savings, Congress passed SECURE Act 2.0 as part of an overall spending bill, the 2023 Consolidations and Appropriations Act. President Biden signed the bill into law on December 29, 2022. OVERVIEW The SECURE Act 2.0 is a follow-up bill to the original SECURE Act passed in …
Tax Loss Harvesting
Want to impress your friends with knowledge of reducing your taxes using investment sales? I’m going to teach you. We all know the adage, “buy low, sell high.” Well, sometimes your investments don’t turn out the way you want them to, and you may want to consider selling low. Tax loss harvesting is when you …
Year End Deadlines
Year end deadlines are important milestones for taxes and financial matters. Here are some important year end deadlines to keep in mind: Benefit “Open Enrollment” periods – Workplace November 1, 2021 – January 31, 2022 Last day to enroll in new health insurance plan on healthcare.gov January 15, 2022 Tax loss harvesting (more about this …
Employee Stock Options II
Part 2 of 2 Last week, I discussed what Employee Stock Options are and how there are two different kinds. When an employer gives you employee stock options, it is not considered a taxable event. It’s only when you DO something with the options that you have to pay attention and figure out if it …
Employee Stock Options I
Part 1 of 2 What the heck is an employee stock option? Publicly traded companies may offer employees stock options as a form of incentive compensation. These options give you the right to purchase company stock at a specific price. There’s a lot of jargon to share when it comes to employee stock options. The …
Gifting Limits
Gifting Limits All this month, I’ve been talking about debt. So why is this blog talking about gifting? Well, here’s my thought train: let’s say you have some debt and your parents or your grandma or your favorite aunt gives you some money to pay it off. Just, out of the goodness of their heart …