The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB): A New Charitable Deduction for Non-Itemizers in 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill (“OBBB”), signed into law in July 2025, made several significant changes to the tax code that will take effect beginning with the 2026 tax year. One of the most notable changes for everyday investors is a brand-new charitable deduction specifically designed for taxpayers who take the standard deduction. You may […]
Good Company, Bad Investment: Why What You Buy Isn’t as Important as What You Pay
I have a version of this conversation pretty regularly. A friend mentions they just bought a stock. I ask what drew them to it. They tell me it’s a great company—strong brand, growing revenue, everyone uses the product. All true. Then I ask what they paid for it. Usually, the conversation stalls. They bought a […]
Taking a Career Break to Raise Your Children: All Things Considered
One of the tougher decisions to make as a young parent is whether to take a career break, in one of its various forms, to bear and raise your children. While being a stay-at-home father is not as unheard of as in the past, this is a role that still primarily falls on the shoulders […]
Mid-Year Review: Is Your Financial Plan Still on Track?
With the first half of the year behind us, mid-summer provides a natural opportunity to evaluate how the year is unfolding. Some goals may be progressing as planned, while others may have taken a back seat to life’s day-to-day demands. Often, priorities shift altogether as family, career, and unexpected events reshape what matters most. Since […]
The New Trump Account: Hype or Helpful Planning Tool?
New tax-advantaged accounts tend to generate both excitement and confusion. The recently discussed “Trump Accounts” are no exception. While the branding has sparked plenty of headlines, the more important conversation is whether these accounts create meaningful opportunities for saving, investing, and long-term financial planning for your family. What is a Trump Account? A Trump Account […]
Why Healthcare Costs Demand Financial Planning
Healthcare costs have quietly become one of the biggest threats to long-term financial security. Not because people aren’t insured, but because even with insurance, the costs keep rising faster than almost everything else in a household budget. Recent data makes this hard to ignore: These aren’t one-time spikes. They reflect a structural shift that requires […]
Term vs. Whole Life Insurance: Why You Should Keep Investing Separate
Whole life insurance is often sold as a product that can do two jobs at once: provide life insurance protection while also building cash value over time. On the surface, that sounds efficient. But combining two jobs into one product does not automatically make the product better. Before evaluating life insurance as an investment, we […]
The Myth of Passive Investing: Why It Doesn’t Really Exist
Wednesdays at my daughter’s nursery school is “show and tell” day—which I assume is more of a “show-thing,” because every time I ask her what she is going to tell, she says, “I don’t know.” If the whole class is like my daughter, they would run out of things to say by the billionth kitty […]
One Big Beautiful Bill
One Big Beautiful Bill: A Game-Changer for U.S. Taxes On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law a landmark piece of legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“Act”). The provisions of the Act represent the most comprehensive tax law changes since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”). In many […]