Investing Capital Gains in a Qualified Opportunity Fund: Special Tax Benefits

by Julie Long | Jul 9, 2026 | Capital Gains Tax, General, Investment, Investment Strategies, Long Term Investing, Tax, Tax Strategy

  A number of special federal tax benefits are available for investing capital gains in a qualified opportunity fund. These include: (1) the rolling five-year deferral of tax on the capital gains, (2) the partial exclusion of the capital gains from gross income...

Time for a Financial Cleanup: Organizing Your Financial Records

by Julie Long | Jul 2, 2026 | Financial Organization, Financial Planning, Financial Wellness, General

  An integral part of managing your personal finances involves properly maintaining your financial records. This is especially important in the event of a crisis or emergency so that you can quickly locate something if needed. That’s why you should make a...

A Midyear Tax Checkup May Help Manage Unwanted Tax Consequences

by Julie Long | Jun 25, 2026 | Financial Planning, General, Tax, Tax Planning, Tax Strategy

 With the tax season a distant memory and summer already here, you have probably stopped thinking about taxes and are busy planning your annual vacation; however, midyear is also a good time for a tax checkup. With time left before 2026 ends, you still have a window...

Is It Time to Declare Your Financial Independence?

by Julie Long | Jun 18, 2026 | Financial Planning, General, Investment, Retirement, Retirement Planning, Retirement Savings, Retirement Strategy

No matter how much money you have or which life stage you’re in, becoming financially independent starts with a dream. Maybe you want to finally pay off the mountain of debt you’ve accumulated or stop relying on someone else for financial support. Or...

Investing as a Couple: Getting to Yes

by Julie Long | Jun 11, 2026 | Financial Planning, General, Investment, Investment Management, Retirement, Retirement Planning

  In a perfect world, both halves of a couple share the same investment goals and agree on the best way to try to reach them. It doesn’t always work that way, though; disagreements about money are often a source of friction between couples. You may be risk...

What are catch-up contributions?

by Julie Long | Jun 5, 2026 | 401K Planning, General, Investment, IRA Contributions, Retirement, Retirement Savings, Retirement Strategy

If you are 50 or older, or you will reach age 50 by the end of the year, you may be able to make contributions to your IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan above the normal contribution limit. Catch-up contributions are designed to help you make up any retirement...