Broad Basis

Most people assume their RMD gets taxed once and that's the end of it. In reality, one withdrawal can set off a chain reaction across your entire tax return, touching things you wouldn't expect and wouldn't necessarily connect back to that single distribution. It's the kind of ripple effect that's easy to miss until it shows up on your tax bill. This lays out exactly what gets affected so nothing catches you off guard.

Required Minimum Distributions come with a deadline that's easy to miss, especially since the rules around them have changed more than once in recent years. It comes down to an age rule that catches a lot of people off guard, and missing the deadline by even a few months can force two distributions into the same tax year. That's the kind of mistake that's completely avoidable once you know what to watch for.

The 5-Year Rule for Roth Conversions and Rollovers

Converting from a traditional IRA to a Roth starts a brand new five year clock. Rolling Roth funds into Roth funds is different — that keeps the five year period tied to your very first Roth account. Small distinction, but it matters when you're deciding how and when to move money.

Life happens. A call comes in, something's changed, and the real question is whether it moves the needle.

Sometimes the answer is "you're solid, this doesn't change anything." Sometimes it's "let's tweak a few things." Either way, that's a conversation worth having as things come up, not something to wait on until year-end.

Broad question, and the answer starts in the same place for everyone: clarity on where you stand today.

What's your contribution percentage to your 401(k)? Does your employer offer annual raises you can factor in? Is your mortgage going to be paid off by the time you retire? The Social Security Administration also publishes income estimates worth checking.

Once you know where you stand, the next step is understanding your flexibility, especially if you're only contributing enough to get an employer match and have room to do more.

Life doesn't always go the way we pictured it. Some people get asked to retire early. Some need to. Others end up working longer than expected.

A strategy built around your goals should be flexible enough to handle those shifts. When something changes, the move is to reassess: does this change the picture in a meaningful way, or not? Then you adjust from there.

A 529 plan is the account most families use to start saving for college. Money goes in, grows tax-free, and comes out tax-free when it's used for education expenses.

But what if your child chooses a trade school, gets scholarships, or skips college altogether?

Thanks to a recent tax law change, unused 529 funds can now be rolled into a Roth IRA, up to $35,000, for the account beneficiary. That means the money doesn't go to waste. It becomes a jumpstart on retirement savings instead, growing tax-free from age 18 all the way to retirement.

A few rules apply around timing and contribution limits, so if this is on your radar, let's talk through the details together.