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
What to Expect at Your First Meeting and Beyond Once you’ve found an advisor (or two) to meet with, have a game plan for the first meeting. Be prepared for the types of questions your advisor will ask you so that you can be ready with useful information. This will help ensure the meeting is… Read More A Guide to Determining If You Should Work With a Financial Advisor [Part III]
Determining & Choosing the Right Advisor Step 1: Determining the Advisory Relationship For You So, you’ve considered your financial situation and the potential benefits of working with a financial advisor. Now it’s time to determine what type of advisory relationship is best for your individual situation, lifestyle, and goals. There are three main types of… Read More A Guide to Determining If You Should Work With a Financial Advisor [Part II]
At times, it can feel as if the odds of being financially stable are stacked against you. Between bills, college loans, rising home costs, and a challenging job market keeping your head above water can be overwhelming. A top source of stress for many is the challenge to save money for retirement. At a close… Read More A Guide to Determining If You Should Work With A Financial Advisor [Part I]
“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
Keith Weiss CFP® 