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When to Exercise Stock Options
When should you exercise stock options? With stock options, employees have the right (not obligation) to buy the shares (called exercising). Vesting is often the
When to Use Pre-Tax vs Roth 401(k) Contributions
Should you make after-tax Roth or pre-tax contributions to your 401(k)? Roth accounts can be powerful wealth-building tools. But paying tax early doesn’t always make
Here’s Why it Might be a Good Time to Rebalance Your Portfolio
Rebalancing your portfolio is an important part of managing your money. Rebalancing means buying and selling positions in your portfolio to get back to your
Expecting a Windfall from Stock Options or Selling a Business? New Tax Proposals May Cost You.
Tax planning for a sudden liquidity event just got more complicated. If you’re expecting a big windfall from selling a business or employee stock options
The S&P 500 Is Up 97% Since 2019. What’s The Market Outlook In 2022 And Beyond?
Since 2019, the total return on the S&P 500 is nearly 97% (almost 27% on an average annualized basis).¹ This outperformance is leaving many investors
Worried About Taxes Going Up? 9 Ways To Reduce Tax
While there likely isn’t a magic bullet to wipe out your tax bill, there are ways to layer tax-efficiency into your plan. If you’re concerned
What the 4% Rule Gets Wrong About Retirement Income
The 4% rule is one of the most well-known rules of thumb in personal finance. The premise is simple: retirees can withdraw 4% of their
What is a Fiduciary Financial Advisor?
What is a fiduciary financial advisor and why do you need one? A full-time fiduciary financial advisor has a legal obligation to act in the
Living Off Dividends: Another Retirement Myth?
The idea of living off dividends in retirement sounds nice, but it’s challenging. What investors don’t always realize is how much money they’ll need invested
Should You Change Your Asset Allocation in Retirement?
If you recently retired or are planning to, you likely have questions about how to position your investments going forward. Conventional wisdom suggests investors should
Net Unrealized Appreciation Rules for Company Stock in a 401(k)
If you have company stock in your 401(k), consider the pros and cons of net unrealized appreciation at retirement. Under the net unrealized appreciation rules,
How to Donate Your RMD Using Qualified Charitable Distributions
Updated for 2024. Can you give money to charity using your IRA? For individuals 70 1/2 or older – the answer is usually yes. What
What Does it Mean to Early Exercise Stock Options?
If you work for a private company or startup, you may be able to exercise your stock options early. With an early exercise, employees buy
How to Donate Stock to Charity: Donor-Advised Funds
Giving appreciated stocks can be a great way to maximize your gift to charity and your tax benefits. When you donate cash, you’re giving after-tax
Here’s When You Need a Financial Plan – And When You Don’t
Do you need a financial plan? Maybe not. A full written financial plan is a robust analysis as of one point in time. This differs
5 Stock Option Mistakes to Avoid When Your Company Goes Public
Amidst a flurry of IPOs, many employees are experiencing their first major liquidity event from stock options. Unfortunately, for stock option rookies and veterans alike,
Avoid the Double Tax Trap When Making Non-Deductible IRA Contributions
Updated for 2024. Anyone with earned income can make a non-deductible (after tax) contribution to an IRA and benefit from tax-deferred growth. But it may
Explaining the Backdoor Roth and Mega Backdoor Roth IRA
Updated for 2024. Many individuals have heard of the backdoor Roth before, but the mega backdoor Roth is getting a lot of attention recently. Here