Blog tagged as 401(k)

Tax Planning in Turbulent Times Part 3: Tax-Wise Financial Planning

09/02/2021 11:15 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

Tax planning isn’t just for your investments. Life happens. Often, we cannot predict its next moves, but it's possible to weave each event into the tax-planning fabric of your financial life.

Tax Planning in Turbulent Times Part 1: The Tools of the Tax-Planning Trade

08/31/2021 11:05 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

The particulars may evolve, but it seems there are always an array of tax breaks to encourage us to save toward our major life goals—such as retirement, healthcare, education, emergency spending, charitable giving, and wealth transfer.

How to Conduct a Financial Checkup Before End-of-Year

08/11/2021 09:37 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

Here are six things you can do right away to make sure your goals are being met and your finances are in good shape as we continue through second half of 2021.

What Issues Should I Consider When Having (Or Adopting) A Child?

07/27/2020 08:02 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

Having or adopting a child is a life-changing experience. While there’s amazing joy in watching your child take his or her first step or speak his or her first words, there can also be a lot of stress when it comes to managing your family’s finances.

HSAs and Tax-Free Distributions

07/20/2020 11:10 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

When used for qualified medical expenses, owners of HSAs are able to take advantage of a triple tax free benefit: pre-tax contributions, tax-deferred growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.

Prioritizing Savings and Investments When You Have Excess Income

07/06/2020 11:08 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

If you are in a situation where you spend less money than you bring in every month, you may be wondering what is the best thing to do with the excess cash. With numerous account types and even more investment options, how do you find the most optimal way to invest and save?

What Should You Do If You Lose Your Job?

06/28/2020 11:03 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

There will be high unemployment for the foreseeable future. Companies have initiated hiring freezes and layoffs. Based on the current economy and outlook, there’s a high probability that you, a family member, or a friend have experienced a recent loss of employment or will in the near future.

What Issues Should I Consider During a Recession or Market Downturn?

06/15/2020 09:39 AM By Mike Halper, CFP®, MPAS®, SE-AWMA®, CDAA, CBDA - Comment(s)

The coronavirus pandemic began as a public health concern, but it didn’t take much time before the spreading outbreak began to raise troubling economic questions and talk of a looming recession.