Category: Tax Planning and Strategies

Widow Filing Taxes the First Year (and After): Your Status Year by Year

Widow filing taxes the first year: the final joint return, qualifying surviving spouse rules, then single brackets. The…

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Roth Conversion Window: The Years High Earners Miss

The Roth conversion window is the stretch of low-bracket years between retirement and RMDs, and it closes for…

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IRMAA 2026: The Medicare Surcharge That Hits Two Years Late

IRMAA 2026 explained: the full Medicare IRMAA brackets, the two-year lookback that catches high earners, the SSA-44 appeal,…

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RSU Tax Withholding: The 22% Mistake That Costs $18,000

Your employer withholds 22% on RSU vests, but your bracket may be 35%. How to close the RSU…

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Should a Widow Sell the House? The Two-Year Tax Deadline Nobody Mentions

Should a widow sell the house? The 2-year $500,000 exclusion, the step-up in basis, and when keeping the…

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Should I Max Out My 401(k)? Why the Answer Changes in Your 50s

Should I max out my 401(k)? In your 50s, the real question is pre-tax or Roth. Hazel Secco,…

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Inherited 401(k) Spouse Options: The Choice Widows Under 59½ Get Wrong

Inherited 401k spouse options: why rolling his 401(k) or IRA into your own before 59½ locks it behind…

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Health Insurance Before Medicare: How to Retire Before 65

Retiring before 65? ACA subsidies key off your income. How the MAGI dial, the 2026 subsidy cliff, and…

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Retirement Withdrawal Strategy: Which Accounts to Tap First

Author: Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® Table of contents You spent thirty years deciding how much to save. In…

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The Widow’s Penalty: Why Taxes Often Rise After Losing a Spouse

Author: Hazel Secco, CFP®, CDFA® Why does a widow usually pay more in taxes than she did when…

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