Category: Blog
ROI or money pit? Prioritizing home renovations with ROI and tax in mind
Every homeowner faces an endless list of potential projects, but not all renovations are created equal when it comes to your financial bottom line. Strategic home improvements can impact not only your future sale price, but also your utility bills, insurance costs, tax obligations, and overall financial position. Learn how to prioritize your project list using a financially grounded framework that considers ROI, tax opportunities, and long-term asset preservation.
Inflation-adjusted tax provisions: 2026 updates
Discover the latest inflation-adjusted tax changes for the 2026 tax year, driven by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). From standard deduction hikes and modified marginal tax rate thresholds to expanded credits for adoption and employer-provided childcare, these updates can significantly influence your financial planning. Delve into how these modifications could impact your taxes and optimize your strategy for the upcoming year.
Building a budget and forecast system for your business
The harsh reality is that many business failures are caused by poor financial planning and cash flow management. Despite this, surprisingly few companies invest in building robust systems for forecasting and tracking their financial future. Learn the fundamentals of building and maintaining a budget and forecast for your business.
Tax breaks for tipped workers: qualifying for the new deduction
Discover how the groundbreaking “no tax on tips” provision in the new One, Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBBA) could transform the take-home pay for millions of tip-reliant workers starting in 2025. Learn which occupations qualify, the specific conditions required, and how to prepare for maximized savings under this potentially game-changing deduction.
Cost Analysis: Turning Hidden Numbers into Smarter Decisions
Want to know where your profit is really going? Here’s a practical, business-owner-friendly approach to cost analysis, showing how to uncover hidden inefficiencies, assign overhead accurately, and make confident decisions with your numbers. Whether you’re looking to price smarter, cut waste, or prepare for growth, it all starts here.
Using POD and TOD Accounts in Your Estate Plan
Discover how Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) accounts streamline the inheritance process, enabling beneficiaries to bypass probate and access assets swiftly. While these tools offer speed and cost-effectiveness, they come with potential pitfalls that could disrupt your estate plan if not carefully coordinated. Explore their benefits and drawbacks to ensure seamless asset distribution among your loved ones.
Medicare: premiums, taxes, and surprise surcharges
Many people reach 65 expecting Medicare to replace their health insurance and ease budget pressures. But in reality, Medicare often adds a new layer of costs – monthly premiums, income-based surcharges, and potential late penalties that can last a lifetime. Read our article to avoid costly surprises later in retirement.
Additional information to help you prepare for the end of federal paper checks
Executive Order 14247 directs federal agencies to phase out paper checks for refunds, benefits, and contracts. Here’s who’s affected and how to prepare.
Personal guarantees: costly risk or tax leverage?
Banks want an extra layer of security for business loans, and a personal guarantee delivers it – but for partnership owners, there’s a hidden tax advantage most overlook. This synthetic capital injection can turn a necessary business risk into meaningful tax leverage, provided you understand the mechanics and monitor the potential pitfalls.
Navigating the Transition: How to Prepare for the US Government’s Paperless Payment Policy
The federal government’s plan to phase out paper checks by September 2025 marks a monumental shift in managing payments such as tax refunds and Social Security benefits. This transition raises questions about logistical challenges, security concerns, and impacts on underserved communities. Prepare yourself for this digital transformation by exploring how these changes will unfold and what proactive steps you can take to ensure a smooth transition.
Attribution rules explained: how constructive ownership can affect your tax strategy
You may think you don’t own a particular business interest, but the IRS might disagree. Under constructive ownership rules, the tax code can attribute ownership to you based on family relationships or entity structures. Understanding these rules before they impact your tax strategy is essential for business owners with family ties, trusts, or complex ownership structures.
Critical updates on energy credits
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is changing the landscape of energy tax credits by accelerating expiration dates, leaving homeowners, businesses, and car buyers scrambling to capitalize on incentives for renewable energy and clean vehicles. This article covers several upcoming deadlines for anyone planning energy-efficient upgrades or investments.
Debt-financed distributions for pass-throughs: how they work and when they make sense
When a pass-through business takes out a loan at the entity level and immediately distributes the borrowed funds to its owners, this is considered a debt-financed distribution. This maneuver provides owners with immediate liquidity without triggering a current tax bill, as long as they have sufficient tax basis to cover the distribution.
The Overlooked Importance of HR in Growing Businesses
For many small and midsize businesses, HR dysfunction isn’t about negligence. It’s about capacity. Most founders don’t build their companies with an HR strategy in mind. Learn how to solve this problem with a fractional HR resource.
Financial Survival Guide for Startups
Spending all your time delivering for clients and letting bookkeeping slide? In this quick guide, discover the simple systems that protect your finances as a new entrepreneur.
Incentive units: how partnership-style equity can reward talent without a surprise tax bill
Non-public pass-through companies can’t flash the same liquid stock options that publicly traded C-corporations deploy, but a profits interest solves the problem by letting newcomers participate only in growth that occurs after the grant date – with no immediate tax bill for either party. Learn more in our article.
You’ve filed an S election – now what? A practical compliance checklist for new S corps
Making the jump to S-corporation status probably wasn’t an impulse decision; you looked at your books, saw profits piling up well beyond the salary you pay yourself, and decided it was time to stop paying self-employment tax on every extra dollar. However, the S election is more than just a single signature on Form 2553; it introduces a new set of rules.
Partnership distribution rules and complexities
Explore the intricacies of partnership distributions and uncover how they offer flexibility in profit allocation while presenting unique tax considerations. Delve into the fundamental principles, exceptions, and strategic approaches that can affect your tax outcomes and ensure seamless operations. Discover why clear agreements and professional guidance are crucial in navigating these complex regulations.
The other half of retirement planning: a framework for spending
Spend your nest egg in the wrong order, and taxes soar while future security shrinks. Get the sequence right, and the same dollars stretch further, cost less, and safeguard your legacy. Here’s the smart roadmap, from Social Security timing to precision RMDs.
Three Trends That Will Fuel the Adoption of AI
AI has finally shifted from headline hype to practical help because three new tools remove the friction that kept it bottled up: the Model Context Protocol, autonomous AI agents, and AI-powered browsers. Here’s how they’re turning chatbots into true coworkers—and why your business should care.
The talent drain is a margin drain: why staffing gaps cost more than you think
Strong top-line growth means little if capacity cannot keep up, and profit leaks with every understaffed shift. Dive into the article for strategies to align headcount with demand.
The OBBBA Car Loan Tax Deduction
If you’re shopping for a new car, there’s a limited-time tax break that could save you thousands of dollars. However, there’s a specific window of time, the rules are strict, and you must act strategically to make it work. Watch our video to learn more.
Tax traps for real estate investors and how to avoid them
Uncover strategies to maximize benefits and minimize pitfalls, from understanding passive loss rules to mastering 1031 exchanges and differentiating repairs from capital improvements. Stay informed and effectively manage your investments amidst an ever-evolving tax landscape.
Understanding Safe Harbor 401(k) Plans
Navigating the complexities of 401(k) plans can be daunting for small and midsize businesses. Discover how the safe harbor 401(k) offers a simplified solution by easing administrative burdens while fostering employee financial well-being. Explore the advantages, key components, and strategic considerations to determine if it’s the right fit for your business.
