Aug 27, 2026 | Blog, Tax Bites
Two investors buy identical rental properties inside their self-directed IRAs. Same purchase price, same rents, same appreciation over the next twenty years. On paper, they made the exact same investment. But when it’s time to actually use that money, their...
Aug 25, 2026 | Blog, Tax Bites
Teachers and other educators often spend their own money on books, supplies, equipment and other classroom needs. For 2026, eligible educators may have two ways to deduct qualifying unreimbursed expenses. One deduction is available whether or not they itemize, and a...
Aug 24, 2026 | Blog, Retirement Accounts
Two weeks ago we talked about the quiet season, that stretch of late summer when nothing on your IRA is urgent and everything is easy to handle. Today’s article is the companion piece: a look at what’s coming, so the quiet season can do its job. ...
Aug 20, 2026 | Blog, Wealth Building
There’s a question that changes how people invest, and it usually arrives sometime in their fifties or sixties, often unannounced: What is all of this actually for? For years, the answer was easy. The portfolio was for retirement, for security, for the version...
Aug 18, 2026 | Blog, Tax Bites
Contributing as much as possible to tax-deferred retirement accounts such as traditional 401(k)s and IRAs is a common recommendation. Contributions generally are pretax or deductible, and the power of tax-deferred compounding can help turbocharge growth. But some...
Aug 17, 2026 | Blog, Self-Directed IRA Investing
Ask most real estate investors what’s inside their self-directed IRA and you’ll usually hear about property. A rental house. A duplex. Maybe a small commercial building. And that makes sense, because property is the asset they know best. ...
Aug 13, 2026 | Blog, Tax Bites
Here’s a question most people never think to ask when choosing a self-directed IRA administrator: does anyone at this firm actually understand taxes? It sounds almost silly. An IRA is a tax-advantaged account. Surely everyone in the industry understands the tax...
Aug 11, 2026 | Blog, Tax Bites
Disability insurance is a valuable benefit provided by many employers. It replaces a portion of the insured person’s income — typically 45% to 65% of pre-disability earnings — after a specified waiting period that starts when the person becomes disabled (as defined by...
Aug 10, 2026 | Blog, Retirement Accounts
Every IRA has a rhythm to it. Spring belongs to tax season. Winter belongs to year-end deadlines, valuations, and required distributions. And the fourth quarter, as anyone who has scrambled through one knows, has a way of arriving faster than expected. But August?...
Aug 6, 2026 | Blog, Retirement Accounts
Picture the classic retirement commercial. A couple walks a beach at sunset. Someone tees off on an empty golf course. A sailboat drifts by, presumably purchased with decades of disciplined index fund contributions. Now be honest: does any of that actually sound like...
