
Insights
Category: Financial Planning

July 9, 2025
The “One Big Beautiful Bill”: Key Tax Provisions
With the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” last week, a wide range of new tax provisions have been introduced, many of which will have meaningful impacts for taxpayers. Sifting through the bill to identify all the relevant details will be a daunting task and will take some time—our objective in this article is [...]


Contributions from: Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA, Ian Curtiss, CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, ChSNC

July 7, 2025
The Professional Trustee: A Key to Secure and Sound Estate Management
Life is full of decisions, especially when it comes to planning your legacy and choosing who will manage your trust. With trusts being an estate planning tool utilized by many of our clients, a common question we hear is whether to appoint an individual—such as a family member or close friend—or to employ a professional [...]

Contributions from: Elaina Shemeta, CFP®

June 20, 2025
Incorporating a “Die with Zero” Philosophy into Your Long-Term Financial Plan
Are you intrigued by the idea of maximizing life experiences and strategically spending your wealth while you’re able to enjoy it? If you’ve read Die with Zero: Getting all you can from your money and your life by Bill Perkins, you may be inspired to rethink traditional wealth accumulation. This book challenges the conventional mindset, encouraging individuals [...]


Contributions from: Heather Hamamoto, CFP®, CDFA®, Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA

June 9, 2025
Helping children build wealth of their own: why the Roth IRA is an important gifting vehicle.
When it comes to gifting to children, especially teenagers, we often think of material items or memorable experiences. While those are meaningful, one of the most powerful and often overlooked gifts is helping them begin building wealth for themselves, particularly through one important tool: the Roth IRA. Roth IRAs offer a powerful opportunity for savers [...]


Contributions from: Vince Lee, CFP®, CPA, Noel Sanchez, CFP®

June 6, 2025
Popular Trust Structures to Protect Your Wealth
Trusts are among the most powerful, common, and flexible legal tools used to protect wealth in the United States. Trusts can serve a variety of purposes, from minimizing estate taxes to shielding assets from creditors, predators, future ex-spouses, and oftentimes from beneficiaries themselves. You can use trusts to identify how you would like assets to [...]


Contributions from: Glen Goland, CFP®, JD, Ian Curtiss, CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, ChSNC

June 1, 2025
Maximizing Your Google Benefits: A Strategic Guide for 2025
Google provides an extensive range of benefits that can enhance your wealth, manage risk, and secure your future. By integrating Google’s compensation, retirement, and health benefits into your financial plan, you can better align these offerings with your long-term goals. Equity Awards Google’s stock units (GSUs) can be a powerful tool for achieving financial objectives. [...]


Contributions from: Katie Berntson, CFP®, Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA

May 29, 2025
Washington State Tax Changes: What Affluent Families and Business Owners Need to Know
On May 20, 2025, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed a $78 billion state operating budget into law, significantly expanding state spending on public services, education, childcare, and early learning. To fund these initiatives, the Washington State Legislature passed several major tax reforms that will affect many of the state’s high-income residents, business owners, and [...]

Contributions from: Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA

May 27, 2025
Your Microsoft Layoff Roadmap: Seven Smart Financial Steps to Take Now
Being laid off—especially from a company like Microsoft—can be both jarring and full of unknowns. Whether your next chapter is another tech role, a sabbatical, or something entirely new, the financial decisions you make now can set the tone for your long-term security and flexibility. Here are seven smart financial steps to take if you’ve [...]

Contributions from: Anne Marie Stonich, CFP®, CPA

May 20, 2025
Don’t let your windfall become a tax nightmare!
Everyone loves a windfall! That is, until they see the tax bill. There are a number of circumstances that can result in a large amount of unexpected income in a single year, which may be great for your savings, but could have unforeseen consequences when it comes to your tax return. For anyone who has [...]


Contributions from: Glen Goland, CFP®, JD, Matt Sampson, CFP®, CEPA®
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