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The First-Year Retirement Spending Trap Most People Don’t See Coming
The First-Year Retirement Spending Trap Most People Don’t See Coming Your retirement plan was built around a 4% withdrawal rate. But most new retirees spend two to three times that in year one, and the categories driving the spike are almost never on anyone’s radar. 7 Minute Read Here’s a number worth sitting with: the…
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Which Retirement Account Should You Tap First? A 5-Step Framework
Which Retirement Account Should You Tap First? A 5-Step Framework The standard “taxable first, then IRA, then Roth” rule is a starting point. For most retirees, blindly following it quietly costs tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary taxes. Here’s a scenario worth thinking about. You’re 65 years old, freshly retired, with money spread across…
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How to Build a Retirement Paycheck That Doesn’t Depend on the Market
How to Build a Retirement Paycheck That Doesn’t Depend on the Market The size of your portfolio matters less than most people think. It’s the structure of your income that determines whether you spend freely in retirement or spend nervously. Here’s how to get that structure right. 9 Minute Read There’s a specific kind of…
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9 Capital Gains Tax Moves to Make Before You Sell Anything in 2026
9 Capital Gains Tax Moves to Make Before You Sell Anything in 2026 Here’s the situation a lot of our clients find themselves in right now: they’re sitting on a taxable brokerage account that’s grown dramatically over the past few years, they know they should rebalance or trim some positions, and they’re frozen, not because…
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The 2026 Rule That Quietly Punishes Donors Who Give Every Year
The 2026 Rule That Quietly Punishes Donors Who Give Every Year Starting this tax year, a new 0.5%-of-AGI floor means the first slice of your annual giving is simply not deductible. For high-income donors still giving the same way they always have, the math just changed significantly. 8 Minute Read Most people who give consistently…
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7 Tax Moves for Early Retirees Before the 2026 ACA Subsidy Cliff Hits
7 Tax Moves for Early Retirees Before the 2026 ACA Subsidy Cliff Hits Picture this: a couple in their late 50s, done with the nine-to-five, living off their portfolio. They budgeted carefully. They planned well. Then they pull $82,000 from their IRA instead of $81,760, a difference of $240, and lose every dollar of their…
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May Market Update
May 2026 Market Update The AI & Energy Crosscurrents: Structural Drivers in a Volatile Market Each month, we will share our analysis of global financial markets, economic conditions, and the key themes shaping our investment thinking. Our goal is to keep you informed on the developments that matter most: not just the data, but the…
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The $6,000 Senior Tax Deduction Most Retirees Will Lose Without Realizing It
The $6,000 Senior Tax Deduction Most Retirees Will Lose Without Realizing It Congress created a brand-new $6,000 deduction for retirees 65 and older, up to $12,000 per couple, but it phases out at 6 cents per dollar above a MAGI threshold most married retirees are already past. You have until December 31 to do something…
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6 Roth Conversion Traps Retirees Are Missing in 2026 (And How to Avoid Them)
6 Roth Conversion Traps Retirees Are Missing in 2026 (And How to Avoid Them) You’ve been converting. Every fall you run the numbers, fill up the bracket, move a chunk from the traditional IRA to the Roth, and call it good. It’s worked for years. The problem is, the tax code you were filling that…
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8 Questions to Ask Before Switching from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare
8 Questions to Ask Before Switching from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare You opened the letter. Your Medicare Advantage plan is ending or your benefits have been slashed so much it barely resembles the plan you chose. You’re not alone. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 2.6 million people had their Medicare Advantage coverage terminated at the…
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