Financial Planning
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Your RSUs Are a Cash Bonus That Happens to Arrive as Stock
The tax bill arrives whether you sell or not. Once you see that, holding stops being the default and becomes a decision you are actively making...
What Does a Financial Advisor Actually Cost?
Most advisors charge about 1% a year, but the headline percentage is rarely the whole cost. Every fee model, what each one runs, and the costs...
Give Your Kids a Head Start on Retirement
Last month, we highlighted Trump Accounts as a new way for parents and grandparents to begin investing for children at an early age. But once your...
Borrow Smarter With Your Portfolio
For most investors, a Schwab account is primarily a place to save and invest. But through your Schwab relationship and our work as your advisor, those...
Savings Rates Keep Dropping
Over the last two years, high yield savings accounts have become a staple of many household financial plans. With interest rates above 4% and sometimes approaching...
Unlocking Penalty-Free IRA Withdrawals With A 72(t) Election
One of the biggest concerns for would-be early retirees is how to access retirement accounts before age 59½ without paying a 10% early withdrawal penalty. Fortunately,...
Cars, Homes, Taxes, oh my!
Financial planning often happens in real time — not just during investment reviews. Over the past month, we've helped clients navigate major decisions involving car purchases,...
Should you open a Trump Account?
Beginning this July, families will have a new tool at their disposal to support their children's financial future: the 530A account, branded as "Trump Accounts." These...
How to think about the latest market pullback
Market volatility looks different depending on where you are in life. A 10% decline can feel like an opportunity… or a threat. Often, the difference isn’t...
Retirement Contribution Limits Are Rising in 2026
The IRS has increased retirement account contribution limits for 2026, giving households more room to save in tax-advantaged accounts. These changes create additional opportunities for tax...
Why Create an Irrevocable Gift Trust?
At a certain point in their lives, many of our clients decide to gift money to their children. As many of us know, when you gift...
An update on my own spending habits
Earlier this year, I wrote about the concept of replacement spending versus excess savings — the decision we all face when a major expense drops off...
Using retirement income to qualify for a mortgage
We had an interesting and educational experience helping a client buy a new home recently. The client is over age 50 and has assets in the...
How I approached the April market crash
The S&P 500 fell 20% from a February high to an April low last month but has since bounced back more than 20%. The window of...
Why Roth Conversions Make More Sense When the Market Is Down
Market volatility can be unsettling, but for savvy investors, it may open up unique planning opportunities—especially when it comes to Roth IRA conversions. When asset values...