Tax Law Changes Loom at the End of 2025
We are only a few weeks from the Presidential election and, as of today, there is no clear leader across the various polls. In addition, control of the House and Senate is also not yet clear. The result of all these races will have a massive impact on how tax law is handled, particularly as […]
Planning Opportunities with SECURE Act 2.0
SECURE Act 2.0 is good for retirement savers. Key Takeaways: RMD Age Delayed from 72 to 73, then 75 for those born in 1960 & later Expanded Roth savings opportunities Expanded savings opportunities, especially for pre-retirees It’s becoming a holiday tradition. On the morning of Christmas eve, I sat down to a cup […]
Year-End Financial Planning & Investments Among Market Volatility
By: Andy Reynolds, CFP®, MBA COO/Partner – Ballast, Inc. With the recent stock market volatility, many investors have, and understandably so, buried their heads in the sand, shredding investment statements without looking and focusing outside of their financial life. While many choose to simply not look, the volatility provides significant opportunities for financial improvement, several of […]
Should Business Owners Raise Their Salary to Earn More Social Security?
Key Takeaways: Pass-through entity owners can choose to take profits as wages or distributions Increasing owner salary raises payroll tax liability but also increases future Social Security benefits Older owners and owners with non-working spouses and/or incomplete earnings records stand to benefit the most from increasing their salaries Lower taxes are better, […]
Alternative Uses of Social Security Income
Key Takeaways: Many unique situations could justify taking Social Security earlier. The psychological benefits of a new income stream can relieve anxiety around a new planning strategy. To take Social Security before age 70, the financial and non-financial benefits of claiming Social Security early should outweigh the benefits of deferral. If you […]
Tax Savings on Company Stock
If you work for a publicly traded company, chances are you can own company stock inside your 401(k) retirement plan. We’ve seen many workers nearing retirement who have accumulated substantial shares of company stock. These workers are often unaware that they have an option with the tax treatment of these shares that could potentially result […]
A History of the Individual Income Tax in America
Key Takeaways: Individual income taxes are the largest source of revenue for the government The 16th Amendment gave Congress “the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes” History has shown that tax revenues increase when rates are cut Taxes have been part of our country’s history from the very beginning – No […]
Pre-RMD & Social Security Roth Conversions
Key Takeaways: Roth conversions should be especially considered if retired and not yet 70 years old. Withdrawing pre-tax funds and paying taxes before Social Security and Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) may result in less tax paid on those funds over the long term. Careful retirement income tax planning prior to age 70 may present significant […]
Taxes in Retirement – Case Studies
Key Takeaways: Your sources of income will change, but you will still owe taxes in retirement. In general, your principal (or “cost basis”) will be returned to you tax-free. A diversified portfolio protects in down markets and provides flexibility when planning for taxes. When you’ve spent your adult life working and saving, retirement […]
The Investor Taxation Lifecycle
We are not CPAs nor are we tax preparers, but a great deal of our time is spent working with clients and their professionals honing a financial plan that is tax efficient. We advise our clients to hire a CPA with whom we can work together to manage their financial plans. The financial plan and […]
When Too Much Tax Deferral Becomes Counterproductive
Click here to watch video in new window. Most of us have been told from early on in our careers to defer as much income as possible to ensure we’ll be properly prepared for retirement. While not bad advice, most of these strategies involve only qualified deferrals, meaning all income tax gets punted until the […]
Give and Get: Qualified Charitable Distributions
Key Takeaways Tax reform has decreased the households who itemize to about 10% of taxpayers. Those who don’t itemize may not realize tax benefits from charitable donations. Qualified Charitable Distributions help donors above age 70 ½ realize a tax benefit. Donors younger than 70 ½ should consider the timing of their contributions. With Scottie Scheffler […]
