What Happens When You Cross Into a Higher Tax Bracket
We’ve all heard the myth that crossing into a higher tax bracket means every dollar you earn suddenly gets taxed at that higher rate. But that’s not how it works.
Important Financial Actions to Take Before the End of 2026
December 31 closes more than the calendar year. It closes the window on RMDs, Roth conversions, and charitable moves that only count if they happen before then. Here's what to do before the year runs out.
How We Manage Your Investments at Financial Consulate
When you hand your retirement savings to an advisory firm, one of the first things you want to know is who is making the investment decisions. Not a software platform. A person, or in our case, a team.
Roth TSP vs. Traditional TSP: Which Is Right for You?
You've contributed to the TSP for twenty years. Do you know whether that money went into Traditional or Roth, and whether it was the right call for your tax situation? If you're within a few years of retirement, the answer determines when you pay taxes on a balance that took a career to build. Here's how to decide which one fits where you are now.
Military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP): Should You Sign Up?
Your military pension is a benefit for your lifetime, not your family's. It stops the day you die, and for a surviving spouse who was counting on that income, the drop can be sudden and steep.
What to Review During Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027
By Madison Bennett, CFP®, CFT-I™ The Medicare mail starts arriving in September, and most of it looks just like last September's, which can make it tempting to skim and move on. However, integrating this review into your broader financial planning…
When Helping Your Adult Kids Starts to Put Your Own Retirement at Risk
You spent 30 years living below your means. Your adult child needs help buying a home, and you have the money sitting right there in your retirement account. Many parents in that moment aren’t asking whether they can afford it… they’re asking whether saying no makes them a bad parent. Here’s how to think through that answer without putting your retirement at risk.
Four People Came to Us Thinking Their Finances Were Covered. Here’s What We Found.
Chris O'Shea took a pay cut to become a financial advisor. Then he left the firm for nearly a decade to coach high school sports and work with students at his church. He came back with a completely different sense of what this work is really about. Read his story.
The Hardest Conversation I’ve Ever Had With a Client
By Mike McCarthy, CPA/PFS, CFP® In this business, you sit across from clients in some of life’s most difficult moments: job losses, market crashes, divorces, and deaths. But if someone asks me to name the hardest conversation I’ve ever had,…
5 Retirement Planning Mistakes I See in Initial Meetings
Worried you might be making mistakes that could derail your retirement? Discover the 5 retirement planning mistakes we often see and how to fix them early.