Wealth Management Center
Preserving and enhancing wealth for the future with financial-planning experts Bill Cass and Chris Hennessey
New strategies emerge for Roth conversions
March 19, 2019
Under tax reform, taxpayers can still act on Roth conversions, but the option to recharacterize - or undo the conversion - is no longer available.
ADVISOR-ONLY WEBCAST SERIES
February 14, 2019
Planning ideas for tax season
Bill Cass, CFP®, Director Wealth Management Programs at Putnam
Chris Hennessey, Lawyer and CPA, Putnam Business Advisory Group
Estate planning considerations before the law sunsets
Estate planning remains an important part of financial planning and here are some considerations before the estate tax law sunsets.
Optimize the pass-through business tax deduction
Small business owners may want to consult with an advisor or tax expert to review the pass-through business tax deduction introduced by tax reform.
A new perspective on tax deductions
Many popular tax deductions were limited or eliminated under tax reform and investors may want to consider strategies to mitigate the impact.
Small-business deduction rules finalized
The Treasury and Internal Revenue service recently finalized the rules for claiming the small business deduction, introduced by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
The 1040 tax filing this year can reveal opportunities for planning
This is the first year of tax filing since tax reform and some taxpayers may find their 1040 filing indicates opportunities for planning.
Form 1040 gets an overhaul under tax reform
Tax reform resulted in broad-based changes to the tax code as well as changes to the Form 1040 and other tax forms.
Will individuals pay more or less taxes for 2018?
Taxpayers will be calculating taxes under the new tax law for the first time for 2018 and learning whether they will owe more or less taxes this year.
Strategies to manage the repeal of the advisory fee deduction
The repeal of miscellaneous deductions, including the advisory fee deduction, may have an impact on some taxpayers’ filings.
Cost-of-living increase among changes to Social Security in 2019
For investors preparing for or in retirement, two key changes to Social Security, including a cost-of-living increase take effect this year.
Key tax figures for 2019
A first step for investors in tax planning for the coming year is to determine their tax bracket and highlights of key tax figures can be helpful guide.
Two provisions under the TCJA will change for 2019
While most of the new provisions of the TCJA went into effect in January there are additional tax code changes that will take effect at year end.
Tax reform enhances college savings plans
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act resulted in the largest overhaul to the tax system in 30 years, including some key changes to 529 college savings plans.
Charitable IRA rollovers may gain traction under tax reform
With new limits on itemized deductions set by tax reform, senior investors may consider using a charitable IRA rollover provision to donate to charity.
Five estate planning considerations for year-end
Estate planning remains critical as investors seek to manage the distribution of assets as well as meet any state tax requirements.
Year-end considerations for smart income-tax planning
The tax reform law created a new tax landscape that could have a significant impact on year-end income-tax planning.
Three retirement planning topics for year-end meetings with investors
As year-end nears, retirement planning becomes a focus for investors, especially retirees who have year-end deadlines for retirement income distributions.
Tax law creates benefits for taxpayers to invest in Opportunity Zones
Tax reform has created an opportunity for investors to defer taxes on capital gains if they invest in so-called “Opportunity Zones”
Gift while living or transfer assets to heirs at death?
Individuals can choose to make a gift while they are living, or include it in their estate plan for distribution upon death.
Rules for NOLs change under tax reform
Business owners may want to review their tax filing strategies as tax reform made some significant changes to the rules for managing net operating losses (NOLs).
What is down the road for tax reform?
A new tax reform package recently passed the House, but its future in the Senate is uncertain.
Investors should consider umbrella coverage when crafting a financial plan
Investors may overlook a serious risk to their net worth — creditor risk — and as a result not carry excess coverage such as umbrella insurance.
Retirement planning for the end of the year
The fourth quarter is an opportune time to take inventory of retirement accounts and review actions such as required minimum distributions and planning strategies before year-end.
Prepare clients for year-end planning
Gifting, required retirement distributions, and charitable donations are among many planning actions that need attention by the end of the year.
There's still time to implement tax-smart strategies
Determining an individual's tax bracket will drive which tax-smart strategies to implement, including managing income, capital gains and losses.
Some estate-planning benefits may be lost if not used
Investors may want to explore gifting and other estate-planning strategies to take advantage of tax benefits that may be limited.
Debt ceiling debate and federal budget on Capitol Hill agenda
As Congress faces a December deadline for the federal budget, the debt ceiling debate was moved up sooner than expected.
Chris Hennessey is Professor Emeritus of Law at the Babson College School of Executive Education and member of the Putnam Investments Business Advisory Group. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Putnam Investments.