Changing jobs is often framed as a career decision—but it’s also a financial inflection point. One of the most common (and overlooked) questions that comes with a job change is: “What should I do with my old 401(k)?” For many people, the default response is inaction: leaving the account behind with a former employer or… Read More Why Evaluating a 401(k) Rollover Matters When You Change Jobs
When people search for a financial planner, they often assume the role is primarily about investments — choosing portfolios, managing markets, and tracking performance. In reality, investment management is only one part of comprehensive financial planning. A financial planner helps individuals and families make informed financial decisions so their money supports the life they want… Read More What Does a Financial Planner Actually Do? (Beyond Investments)
The best tax-sheltered investment vehicles depend on your financial goals, income level, and tax situation. Here are some of the most effective options: Retirement Accounts (Tax-Deferred or Tax-Free Growth) Health & Education Accounts Insurance-Based Vehicles Real Estate & Alternative Investments Business & Trust Structures Each of these vehicles has specific rules, contribution limits, and tax… Read More The Best Tax Shelters
Compared with other forms of compensation, incentive stock options (ISOs) can provide executives and other employees with substantial tax breaks. If held for a certain period of time, shares purchased as ISOs may escape all taxes other than the relatively low long-term gains rate of 15%. But as many “paper millionaires” discovered during the most… Read More Exercise Caution When Exercising Incentive Stock Options
Have you ever set a financial goal for yourself with the best of intentions, only to find yourself derailed after a few months? If so, you’re not alone. Just look at how many people start the New Year off with a brand-new gym membership, only to stop going after a few months. Let’s get back… Read More Investment Strategy: Setting Financial Goals
In the final days of 2022, Congress passed a new set of retirement rules designed to make it easier to contribute to retirement plans and access those funds earmarked for retirement. The law is called SECURE 2.0, and it’s a follow-up to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, passed in 2019.… Read More SECURE Act 2.0: An Overview
“It turns out my job was not to find great investments but to help create great investors,” writes Carl Richards, author of “The Behavior Gap.” From increasing our budget mindfulness to taking a steadier approach to investing, Richards has drawn attention to how our unexamined behaviors and emotions can be to our detriment when it… Read More Closing the Behavior Gap: Building a Bridge Between Investing & Financial Planning
Are you prepared for 2023? From soaring inflation and rising interest rates to the ongoing effects of the pandemic and war in Ukraine, we can expect the economic landscape to remain predictably unpredictable for the foreseeable future. And Mr. Market doesn’t like it when it’s foggy. While there’s not much we can do to influence the… Read More 2023 Financial Planning: Your Key To-Do List for the New Year
Keith Weiss CFP® 