Articles & Insights
Practical, jargon-free writing on investing, planning, and the issues that matter most to our clients.
The 0% Long-Term Capital Gains Bracket: Who Gets It and How to Use It
Long-term capital gains can be taxed at zero percent at the federal level. The income threshold is wider than most people realize, and the planning value is significant for early retirees and lower-income years.
The Roth Conversion Decade: Why the Years Between Retirement and RMDs Matter Most
The years between retirement and required minimum distributions are often the highest-leverage tax-planning window of a lifetime. Here's how to think about Roth conversions during it.
Asset Location: The Quiet Tax Win Most Investors Miss
Holding the same portfolio in the wrong account types can cost real money over a lifetime. The principle is simple — the execution is where most plans go wrong.
The "Fee-Only" Label Doesn't Mean What You Think
"Fee-only" sounds clean — no commissions, aligned interests. In practice, the term is self-described and unregulated. Here's how to actually verify.
Sequence-of-Returns Risk: The Hidden Killer of Retirement Plans
The same average return can produce wildly different retirement outcomes depending on the order of the years. Why the first decade after retirement matters disproportionately — and what to do about it.
The Concentrated Stock Position Problem: Five Ways to Solve It
Holding too much of one company — typically your employer or an inherited holding — is one of the most common sources of avoidable risk in HNW portfolios. The unwind is harder than it looks.
What to Ask an Advisor Before You Hire Them
Ten direct questions that reveal more about a prospective financial advisor than any marketing page. And what the honest answers sound like.
Donor-Advised Funds: The Most Underused HNW Strategy
A donor-advised fund decouples the timing of your tax deduction from the timing of your charitable giving. For most high earners doing meaningful giving, it's the right tool — and it's nearly free.
Tax-Loss Harvesting: What It Is and When It Actually Helps
The mechanics of tax-loss harvesting — and an honest look at when the tax savings are real, when they're overstated, and when it doesn't apply at all.
QCDs: The Tax Move Every Charitable Retiree Over 70½ Should Know
Qualified charitable distributions let you give from your IRA tax-free, satisfy your RMD, and preserve other deductions. For charitable retirees, it's almost always the most efficient way to give.
The #1 Estate Planning Mistake (and It's Not What You Think)
The most expensive estate planning mistake we see isn't a missing will or an unfunded trust. It's the beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance — and almost every household has at least one wrong one.
How Advisor Fees Actually Work — and What 'All-In Cost' Really Means
The advisory fee you see on the proposal is often only part of what you're paying. Learn how to read a fee structure and calculate your true all-in cost.
Bunching Charitable Deductions: How TCJA Made an Old Strategy New Again
The 2017 doubling of the standard deduction made annual charitable giving tax-invisible for most households. Bunching multiple years of giving into one tax year solves it.
The Backdoor Roth and Mega-Backdoor Roth, Explained
Two legal strategies that let high earners put meaningful dollars into Roth accounts despite income limits. The mechanics, the traps, and when they're worth doing.
The Step-Up in Basis at Death: A Tax Cliff Worth Planning Around
Holding appreciated assets until death wipes out the embedded capital gains tax for your heirs. Most people know that. The planning question is which assets to hold, which to sell, and when.
When a Pilot Should Consider a Roth Conversion
Airline pilots often have an unusually clean Roth conversion window — if they know when it opens and when it closes. The planning rules that matter most for Age 65 retirees.
Fiduciary vs. Suitability: What Your Advisor's Standard Actually Means
Not every 'financial advisor' is legally required to act in your best interest. Here's the difference between the fiduciary and suitability standards — and how to verify which one applies to you.
When a Pilot Should Actually Move States (and When They Shouldn't)
Many pilots have meaningful flexibility on where to live. Over a 25-year career, the difference between a no-tax state and a high-tax state can run into seven figures. Here's the realistic framework.
Trusts vs. Beneficiary Designations: The Quiet Conflict in Most Estate Plans
Most households have both a trust and a stack of beneficiary designations. The two often disagree — and the beneficiary form wins. Here's how to make them work together.
Loss-of-License Insurance for Pilots
What LOL coverage actually pays, what SWAPA provides, and the outside coverage decisions that matter most for pilots at peak earning years.
Social Security for Two-Earner Households: The Coordination That Saves Six Figures
When both spouses worked, Social Security claiming becomes a coordination problem. The right strategy depends on the income gap, age gap, and health expectations — and the wrong default can cost a household hundreds of thousands.
All-In Cost: How to Read Your Advisor's Fee Stack
The advisory fee on the proposal is usually only one layer of what you're paying. A straightforward method for calculating your real all-in cost — and what a reasonable number looks like.
The SWA 401(k) Decision: Pre-Tax, Roth, or After-Tax?
Southwest Airlines pilots and employees with access to all three contribution buckets face a real planning question every year. The right mix depends on age, income, marginal bracket, and what comes next.
A Southwest Airlines Pilot's Retirement Planning Essentials
The retirement-planning items every SWAPA-represented Southwest Airlines pilot should be thinking about — from Age 65 to the 401(k) to state-of-residence planning.
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