As the year winds down, it is always a good idea to review your tax situation to determine if there are ways to reduce your tax liability or take advantage of financial planning opportunities that may exist. Here are several items that may warrant consideration prior to the end of the year.
Read MoreAs we close out 2024, it is a good time to think ahead about the coming year. Below are the 2025 Income tax brackets for all taxpayers.
Read MoreThe current tax code is set to expire in 2026. The article shows what has happened with tax rates since 2016 and what is scheduled to happen going forward until 2030. There are some notable changes beginning in 2026.
Read MoreIn 2020, the SECURE Act changed the distribution requirements for non-spousal beneficiaries of IRAs. The new rules are fairly complicated. We will review the rules and discuss the options and opportunities to optimize the tax impact of these inherited IRA distributions.
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Portfolio rebalancing is an integral part of the investment management process. On this episode of Finance In A Flash, Chip and John sit down to talk about the concept of rebalancing and discuss the benefits of implementing a portfolio rebalancing strategy.
Read MoreThe IRS has announced contribution savings limits for retirement savings accounts for 2024. All the maximum contributions to retirement plans have increased by $500. Make sure you let your payroll department know that you want to increase your contributions to these plans.
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance in a Flash we welcome a special guest to the podcast. Stephanie Murray, Stephanie is Beacon’s Planning and Operations Manager. Stephanie is an Enrolled Agent—a federally licensed tax practitioner as well as a Certified Financial Planner™. John and Stephanie sit down and discuss important tax forms, the tax preparation process, and much more!
Read MoreNow, more than ever, we are recommending 529 Plans as a way to save for college. When Congress passed the SECURE 2.0 Act in 2022, they introduced new rules relating to 529 plans. The new law now allows for tax and penalty-free rollovers from a 529 plan to a Roth IRA!
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance in a Flash, Chip and John explore why we prefer mutual funds and ETFs versus individual stocks!
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance In A Flash, John interviews Beacon's Client Services Representative, Patrick Lamprey. We really hope you enjoy this episode and get to know more about Patrick as he talks about his personal life, how he got into financial planning, and his time here at Beacon so far!
Read MoreGetting married is one of the biggest decisions of any persons life. On this episode of Finance in a Flash, Chip interviews John to discuss making financial decision as newly weds.
Read MoreFor better or worse, the financial decisions that young adults make have an ongoing impact on their lives. On this episode of Finance in a Flash, Chip and John give some advice to recent graduates on how to build a solid financial foundation.
Read MoreMaking the decision to retire is a difficult one. On this episode of Chip and John discuss the moving parts, many unknowns and variables that are at play that can impact the outcome and ultimately the probability of a successful retirement.
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance in a Flash, Chip and John discuss a few situations that might warrant selling an investment and some rules of thumb to consider when deciding on whether to sell an investment!
Read MoreIs it best to contribute to your company sponsored 401k plan, a Roth IRA, or a personal brokerage account? The answer depends on many factors. Chip and John hash out some of those factors on this episode of Finance in a Flash!
Read MoreWhen it comes to taking account distributions, which account is best - IRAs, Roth IRAs, Brokerage accounts or 401k plans? Chip and John discuss tax strategies and other considerations to take into account when deciding which account to take a distribution from!
Read MoreOn this episode of Finance in a Flash Chip and John sit down to discuss, tax-efficient investing and the importance of “Asset Location.” Chip and John talk about which types of investments should be held in which accounts and why that may vary based on your stage in life.
Read MoreThe SECURE Act 2.0 altered the onset of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from age 72 to age 73. However, the law made no change to the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) rules. So, while a RMD is not required until age 73, a taxpayer over age 70 ½ is allowed to distribute directly from their IRA to their favorite charity and avoid taxation.
Read MoreWith the passage of the SECURE Act, distribution requirements for beneficiaries changed dramatically. Now, non-spousal beneficiaries are required to distribute the entire balance of an inherited IRA within 10 years! This could present an enormous tax burden for those beneficiaries.
Read MoreNormally, when someone mentions hybrids they are referring to fuel-efficient, money-saving cars. Like hybrid cars, the intention of hybrid long term care insurance policies is to provide cost-saving insurance coverage by combining both life insurance (or an annuity) with long term care coverage.
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