Author Archives: Megan Russell

Think of your capital loss carry forward as an asset you have banked which provides a defensive buffer for your taxes.

Perhaps one day Schwab will write their own tutorials, but until then, I’m glad we can help so many people.

This quarter, Overall Freedom Investing presented a 1-year return of 33.89%. This is a +1.29% advantage over MSCI ACWI ex US.

Because of how beneficiary designations and RMD tax requirements play off of one another, there are some odd realities for this odd distribution requirement.

If you want to take our word for it, you can schedule your monthly RMD for the 8th. If you are curious as to the calendar math that suggests this date, read on.

The class will be held virtually on Zoom from noon to 1:30 PM EST on the four Thursdays between February 12 and March 5, 2026. We hope to see you in class!

With a tender offer someone is making an offer to purchase your stock, and as a rule of thumb, you should ignore the offer.

Schwab’s free overdraft protection means that your Schwab Bank account serves like a pass-through account.

Hopefully, some of these ideas inspire you to reuse various treasures you didn’t know you had.

We aren’t worried either way. By default, we recommend that shareholders skip voting in this election.

As the season of holiday shopping approaches, this 2018 article reminds us, “Before you throw your money at various companies, squirrel some savings away for your future self.”

Even though it doesn’t feel like it sometimes, contribution limits are indexed to inflation.

Be sure to remember to tell your tax preparer that you did a QCD.

If you have recently lost your health insurance or recently signed up for a new one, you may want to watch out for these rules.

You are permitted one 60-day rollover per 12-month period and if you are successful it would not be a taxable event, but I would advise against using this feature.

This quarter, we saw that in 1-year returns ending September 30, 2025, Developed Freedom Investing had a -3.02% disadvantage, Emerging Market Freedom Investing had a -0.55% disadvantage, and Overall Freedom Investing had a -1.79% disadvantage.

Projected escrow shortfall letters are very common, and typically happen once per year.

“Parental Reminder #42” reminds us that goodness is something bigger than we can articulate but, even though we cannot express it fully, it is very important.

For most people, here is how to think through the 5-year rules of Roth distributions.

In this video, David used examples from our tax planning service to demonstrate what a Roth conversion plan might look like and how systematic Roth conversions can create a higher after-tax net worth in the future.

Without rebalancing, the all-stock Marotta 2024 Gone-Fishing Portfolio had a 1-year return of 11.21% and the all-stock Marotta Vanguard 2024 Gone-Fishing Portfolio had a 1-year return of 10.72%.

Tax planning is very different than tax return preparation. The goal of tax preparation is to minimize your tax owed this year. The goal of tax planning is to maximize your after-tax net worth by minimizing your taxes owed over your lifetime.

Unfortunately, neither “yes” nor “no” is a correct answer to this question.

Three generations explain this family saying which teaches one method of mitigating risk.

There is no scorecard, no grade, and no winner when it comes to wealth. This is a pass-fail challenge that we each do on our own and succeed in our own way.

Many children being cared for under court decree do count as family members for the purpose of a 529 plan rollover because they have an “eligible foster child” relationship.

For domestic tasks like babysitting there are often two options: independent contractor or household employee. Taking the time to educate yourself on the difference may be worth your while.

This quarter, we saw that in 1-year returns ending June 30, 2025, Developed Freedom Investing had a -0.91% disadvantage, Emerging Market Freedom Investing had a -3.66% disadvantage, and Overall Freedom Investing had a -1.69% disadvantage.

If you are opening a donor advised fund for the first time, take a moment to think about your goals.

With a thorough understanding of the IRS rules, performing a Roth Conversion even after your so-called Required Beginning Date (RBD) can be both easy and profitable. This 2016 article teaches how.

“One financial manager recommended that I invest 100% of my assets into stocks while another recommended investing in bonds as well – what do you recommend?”

This post reminds us that there are at least four reasons to rebalance where the benefit can be demonstrated or measured.

Earning, spending, saving, and investing — a mastery of these four matters creates a financially healthy life.

This 2017 article reminds us that there is not one best Roth conversion plan that you can apply to everyone.

Imagine that you are covering all of your child’s basic care, but they have a savings stash. Would you let your child give all their savings away to charity?

Each spouse has different spending habits and values different things in life. It’s okay for your budget to reflect that.

While the funds owned by your Donor-Advised Fund are no longer yours, there is some estate planning that can be done with your account.

There are two methods of dialing an extension from the beginning of the call.

Married (or once married) taxpayers have several Social Security benefit options.

Whenever the IRS challenges you, the burden of producing evidence that your claims are true rests entirely with you.

This quarter, we saw that in 1-year returns ending March 31, 2025, Developed Freedom Investing had a +1.27% advantage, Emerging Market Freedom Investing had a -9.45% disadvantage, and Overall Freedom Investing had a -2.01% disadvantage.

The selection of what products we purchase or avoid for clients is based solely on what we believe gives our clients the best chance to meet their goals.

Here is a reference chart with 2025 income tax rates, capital gains rates, and more.

Even though there is some political and tax uncertainty this year, our funding priorities remain nearly identical to last year on purpose.

We have a saying around here: It is always a good time to have a balanced portfolio.

The IRS very clearly says, “Yes, you can set up a SEP for your self-employed business even if you participate in your employer’s retirement plan at a second job.”

Thankfully, the IRS does not care what specific day you were born on, only which year.

Depending on how you initiated the lump sum rollover, you may be in luck.

Rebalancing from stocks into bonds reduces your returns on average since bonds have a lower average return. But, as this 2015 article reminds us, there are decades of very choppy markets where even rebalancing an allocation of stocks and bonds can boost returns.

It is possible to be prepared for financial emergencies by living 10% more frugally and saving for the inevitable eventuality.