A volatile year in the financial markets can create opportunities for reducing your taxable income. Many investors use the closing months of the year to review their portfolios and assess their winning and losing investments. It’s also a good time to do tax planning for the upcoming filing season; decisions you make before year-end can help you lower the taxes …
Gifts & Taxes: What to Know Before You Give
You can be generous with your loved ones during the gift-giving season without running afoul of the rules. One way many individuals try to avoid estate and inheritance taxes is to give money away during their lifetime, effectively reducing the wealth that will be subject to federal taxes when it’s passed on to heirs. This is a viable strategy, but …
Do You Consider Taxes as You Invest?
A few astute moves could help promote a better after-tax return. As you weigh risk vs. return, you may risk taking an eye off taxes. A focus on tax efficiency could help you improve the effective yield from your portfolio. You can try to cut or delay taxes linked to investing. Consider placing the most tax-efficient investments you have in …
Making Smart Investments for Your Family
Raising a family is rewarding and expensive. Consider taking these steps to support your family financially through a program of smart investing. Building a career and raising a family requires management skills. Juggling your time, priorities, and money now while planning for the future can be daunting. Saving now to send your kids to college, take care of your parents …
A Look at the Gift Tax Exemption
How much can you gift in a year, and a lifetime? Federal tax rules allow you to give away millions of dollars during your lifetime. You can make five-figure gifts of money or property to other individuals in any given year. These gifts may be made without tax consequences … as long as they fall within the IRS annual and …
Do You Consider Taxes as You Invest?
A few astute moves could help promote a better after-tax return. As you weigh risk vs. return, you may risk taking an eye off taxes. A focus on tax efficiency could help you improve the effective yield of your portfolio. You can try to cut or delay taxes linked to investing. Consider placing the most tax-efficient investments you have in …
Who Said You Couldn’t Take it With You?
If you are thinking about changing jobs, are you aware what your choices are for managing the money in your current employer’s retirement plan? Although many people have chosen to take a cash distribution, there are several options that may benefit you more. Uncle Sam Loves Cash Distributions Taking a lump-sum cash distribution may cause an immediate 20% federal …
Tax Season Isn’t Over
Tax filing day has passed us by for another year (unless you are on extension). Most people don’t start planning for their taxes until they start receiving documents. At this point your accountant is a glorified scorekeeper showing you what you owe or what you are getting back. Now is the time to start planning for 2017, especially with all …
Smart Tax Planning
“You are worse than the Dentist.” It’s tax time. According to some of my clients-one of the worst days of the year. Most of my clients are patriotic Americans, but they don’t want to pay more taxes than they have to. Over the years I have noticed most of my clients initially focus on deductions. Should I buy a house …
Estate Tax Planning and Inheritance
If you have a large estate with adjusted gross value coming to a minimum of $5.34 million starting 2014, a big chunk of it will be gobbled by the federal estate taxes. Although there is no state inheritance tax in Arizona, any trusts and estates exceeding state exemption will result in you paying income taxes. The list of other taxes …





