Winning the Year-End Tax Game
By: John P. Napolitano | Founder and Chairman Before I got into financial advice, I was a CPA for a long time. I still carry the license. The reason I crossed the aisle was while taxes are complicated, it’s not that difficult to tell people what happened last year. Worse, I got tired of telling…
Making Cents: Beneficiary Planning for Senior Citizens
It is second nature for many senior citizens to save as much as possible. These same seniors are such savers, that they are equally reluctant to spend any of their savings. This natural aversion to spending also applies to their retirement accounts. Whether the retirement account is a pension, 401K or an IRA, holding on…
Making Cents : Game Changing Life Transitions that need Attention
Most people approach their financial planning on a piecemeal basis. They look at their portfolio every now and then. They talk to an estate planner every 10 or 20 years, even though it should be more frequent. They buy their life insurance in a vacuum and never look at it again. They buy and sell…
Timeline of Tax Forms
It’s everyone’s favorite time of year again – tax season! There are several dates to be aware of regarding your tax forms from LPL Financial and other asset custodians. Most of the tax forms will be mailed out between January and March to meet all IRS deadlines. You may also find copies of the tax…
MAKING CENTS: Clever Terms to Investigate
Financial services marketers are quite clever at getting you to see their point of view. In their creative genius, they use words that sound quite appealing to most people and utilize those words to fit your situation making what they’ve got to sell sound like your only solution. The first such word is guaranteed. You…
MAKING CENTS: Gifts that keep on Giving for those you Love Most
Many folks have begun making progress with their year-end and holiday gifting. Just in case you’re typically one of those last-minute shoppers with no idea what to get for your closest family members, consider helping them get some financial things done that are frequently unattended. For young children, consider a 529 college savings plan. Most…
Making Cents: Household Employees May Cause Tax and Liability Problems
A household employee is someone that you pay to perform duties in or around your home. A household employee is considered an employee for tax and liability purposes if you control when, where, how or by whom the work should be performed. This list of people commonly includes nannies, medical caregivers, housekeepers, chefs, personal assistants,…
Year End Tax Moves To Consider
In a famous tax court case from 1934, Judge Learned Hand spouted what is now a famous quote amongst us tax nerds. Justice Hand said that “anyone may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury;…
Making Cents: Year End Gifting Unwrapped
We always get a lot of questions surrounding gifts. Most of the questions are about either charitable giving or family gifts. Starting with gifts to family, the tax code permits annual gifts to be excluded from gift taxes if it’s less than $17,000 per donor and donee. That means you can give up to $17K…
Making Cents: Is It Best To Make Gifts Now Or Transfer Property At Death
Naturally, this answer is going to be different for everyone, so let me talk about the common mistakes and pitfalls of either bequeathing property at death or gifting while you are alive. Starting with transfers during your lifetime, one of the biggest issues that we see often surrounds the ultimate income tax consequences with lifetime…