As a parent, it's natural to want to provide the best possible education for your child. For many, this means saving for college tuition through a 529 plan. While 529 plans are a great college planning vehicle, they can be complex and require careful consideration.

When the time comes to pay for college, it's important to understand what is involved in withdrawing funds from a 529 plan, including reimbursing yourself, paying the school directly, and important considerations like FAFSA implications and qualifying expenses.

Saving for your child or grandchild's education is an investment in their future. One excellent tool to consider is a 529 account, which offers tax advantages and flexibility. Whether you're a parent or grandparent, understanding the process of opening and funding a 529 account is crucial.

Charitable giving is an excellent way to support causes that you care about and make a meaningful impact in the world. Whether you want to donate money, assets, or time, there are many charitable giving strategies available that provide both tax benefits and flexibility in your retirement planning.

Transferring wealth is a multifaceted process that entails navigating intricate legal, financial, and emotional considerations, and hence demands thorough and meticulous planning. Planned giving, in particular, is a significant decision that has far-reaching financial and emotional implications. Therefore, it is crucial to approach planned giving with careful consideration and attention to detail.

Transferring wealth to our families and to causes we care about fosters connection with others and a sense of gratitude, but how do we know we are financially secure enough to give? Creating a financial plan with clear implementation goals removes ambiguity and allows us to see how much we can reasonably give while still taking care of ourselves.

There are certain subjects that are off limits in polite conversation. Transferring wealth is one of them, but secrecy about wealth within families can do more harm than good. Leaving a lasting legacy and ensuring the next generation can handle family wealth starts with a conversation.

Retired individuals frequently contemplate the amount they can withdraw from their portfolio while avoiding the risk of insufficient funds. In response to this issue, the 4% Rule is widely utilized in retirement planning. It calculates a secure annual withdrawal rate from a retirement portfolio to prevent its rapid depletion.

The purpose of a Thirty-Day Spending Review is not to create a paper chase for expenditures but just to create awareness about spending. We have been spending all our lives and have formed habits that we no longer notice. Not being cognizant about where money goes is a common source of financial stress.

A HELOC is a financial strategy used with caution. Your home is the collateral for the loan and detracts from your personal net worth if not used wisely. A trusted advisor can help you understand the nuances of this commonly used tool to build wealth.

With the housing market up meaningfully since its peak in 2006, we have amazing wealth in equity. However, new homeowners have been required to meet strict guidelines to qualify for a mortgage. Once such qualification is purchasing Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). Reviewing your situation with a financial advisor can help bring attention to these costs so you can eliminate them.

Wealth experts offer various rules of thumb about how much you need to save. Some suggest $1 million, others say 80-90% of your annual pre-retirement income, and others still say 12x your pre-retirement salary. But what is right for you? And how do you know you're on track?

Reverse mortgages are often marketed to seniors to help fund retirement using the equity in their home. Regrettably, some seniors have been forced to sell their homes to unwind the reverse mortgage. Review your options with a financial advisor to determine if a reverse mortgage is right for your household.

A Cash-Out refinance is a strategy that allows a homeowner to pursue a lower interest rate on their mortgage while also taking out a lump sum of cash against the equity in the home.

Refinancing in the current interest rate environment seems ineffective but in certain circumstances changes to loan terms can have a favorable outcome.

Home mortgage interest that is deductible as an Itemized Deduction is subject to limitations. Consult with a tax preparer to review new limitations before making changes to your current mortgage loan.

Right-sizing is the process of selling your home to get into something that fits your lifestyle and better serves your needs. If you’re looking for a lifestyle change, the equity in your home can become a useful tool.