By Graham Ewing, CFP®, MBA, Director of Financial Planning Standards A couple came to our office not long ago with a straightforward goal: make sure they were ready to retire. The husband was considering retiring soon, the wife planned to…
Ready to make 2026 your most tax-smart year yet? Our latest article discusses 10 practical steps to help you reduce your tax liability, maximize savings, and plan with confidence
Most people know that Roth individual retirement accounts (IRAs) have a “5-year rule,” that is, you must have owned your Roth IRA for at least 5 years and be over the age of 59.5 years to withdraw earnings tax-free during…
It seems every year most people want to have their taxes filed by April 15th, and nobody wants to file an automatic, no questions asked extension till October 15th. It seems to us as many feel they are doing something…
When clients provide me with a mortgage interest statement, they assume that all of the mortgage interest will be tax-deductible. This assumption was somewhat true under the tax laws before 2018, but since 2018, it will be true only on…
There is a new tax law that has changed everything for a while. One of the biggest changes is the new expanded standard deduction and the elimination of many itemized deductions. Before we discuss these changes, a good understanding of…
It is true that most people will see their income tax rates lowered in 2018, but is it possible that despite having their rates lowered, some may actually owe more in income tax? The answer, unfortunately, is yes, given that…
The IRS Tax code is not typically known for offering a free lunch. However, there is one type of account out there that many people have heard of but don’t fully understand how beneficial it can be. The Health Savings…
When having your taxes prepared—whether by using a tax program or a tax preparer—the expectation is to end up with the lowest tax bill possible. Unfortunately, such an expectation may be inaccurate. Most tax programs and tax preparers take data…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows taxpayers to file for a 6-month extension if they need more time to prepare their tax returns. You can obtain a tax extension for any reason—the IRS grants them automatically and without penalty as…