Filing taxes isn’t the highlight of most people’s year. It can feel overwhelming and potentially get quite expensive if you go in without a game plan. That’s why it’s important to prepare for your tax appointment in advance. Just like your financial plan helps keep your personal finances in order, some tax appointment planning can help you get your personal and business documents in order—making it easier to file your 2023 taxes.

Chances are you rely on your financial advisor to help with financial planning, retirement planning, and investment management. However, not everyone realizes that a properly qualified financial advisor can help with tax planning, too. Because financial advisors possess a deep understanding of your overall financial situation, they can tailor tax strategies that align with your specific goals. Financial advisors with tax planning experience can:

For decades, investors have been told that investing in a portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds is a tried-and-true method to diversify and optimize returns. This strategy assumes that most of the returns will come from your equity exposure while fixed income will provide the needed ballast to offset losses in down years for the market. Modern portfolio theory supports this methodology, and since 1945, it has yielded an average return of close to 10%.

For most of us, ensuring the financial security and prosperity of our loved ones is extremely important. Gifting stocks to children in a low tax bracket (i.e., college students, graduate students, unemployed, etc.) allows us to share our success. It presents an opportunity for tax-efficient wealth transfer.

Everyone is different, so it stands to reason that everyone’s financial goals are different, too. But whether you want to retire early, pay for college for your children (or grandchildren), or buy a vacation home, you need a plan to get there. And while there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all financial plan, there are steps that everyone can take as they try to create a plan that’s suited to their individual needs.

A lot goes into being an estate executor. It’s a responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and that’s why it’s so important to find the right person for the job when you’re putting together your estate plan.

You work hard to save for retirement, and you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to hopefully grow those savings. That’s why it’s important that you know how your financial advisor is adding value above and beyond what you might accomplish on your own.

Explore five thoughtful ways to give back by donating your time. Learn how to align your passions, skills, and values with meaningful volunteer opportunities that make a real impact.

The decision to execute a Roth conversion and generate taxable income is more complicated than it may seem at first, especially when you consider it in the context of your overall estate plan. You’re essentially making a bet that paying tax today is better than having someone else pay any income and/or estate taxes on it in the future.

When it comes to investing, you have a lot of options. Whether you’re investing in specific companies, funds, or a combination of both, you have myriad choices for investing in securities. It’s no wonder that building out your portfolio can be daunting. There’s a lot to think about, but one consideration that’s growing in popularity is ethics.