Part 3: Build Your Own Roth Conversion NPV Model
This is Part 3 in a series on Roth conversions. If you haven’t read Part 1 and Part 2, you
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Five Things I Do Choose to Optimize (Even Though I Value Sleep)
In a recent post, I listed five things I choose not to optimize in favor of sleeping well at night
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Part 2: When Roth Conversions Win Big
When do Roth conversions pay off? Explore the impact of lower tax brackets today, higher future tax rates, ACA subsidies, and RMD planning.
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Roth Conversions Using a Discounted Cash Flows (DCF) Framework
Part 1: When Should You Do Roth Conversions and Why do Most Calculators Get the Analysis Wrong? There is no
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How to Rebalance Your Portfolio Without Creating Unanticipated Tax Problems (Plus a Rebalancing Calculator)
Rebalancing triggers taxes if you’re not careful. Here’s a framework for rebalancing across taxable, pre-tax, and Roth accounts without the tax hit.
Coloring Outside the Lines: Tax Strategies that are clearly Not allowed
Financial independence is about working within the rules, not gaming the system. In this article, we explore five financial red lines that early retirees should never cross, from the “audit lottery” and fake business deductions to FAFSA asset hiding, offshore accounts, and Medicaid transfer schemes. We also examine the legal alternatives that can help you achieve the same goals without risking audits, penalties, or fraud allegations.
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The ACA Runs on One Number: MAGI
ACA subsidies are based on income, not assets. Learn how MAGI drives premium tax credits, the 400% FPL cliff, and how to plan around both.
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Income-Tested, Asset-Tested, or Both: How Programs Define “Need”
Income-tested, asset-tested, or both? Government programs such as ACA subsidies, Medicaid, FAFSA, and Supplemental Security Income all use different methods to determine eligibility. In Part 1 of The Means Test series, learn how these programs define “need,” why some ignore assets entirely, and how the type of means test can dramatically affect benefit eligibility for early retirees and financially independent households.
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The Annual MAGI Review: A Year-End Checklist for Early Retirees
Retirement tax planning doesn’t happen in April; it happens throughout the year. Learn how to monitor your MAGI, manage Roth conversions, harvest capital gains and losses, and avoid costly ACA subsidy surprises with this annual income review checklist.
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Backdoor Roth 101: What It Is, Who Needs It, and Where It Breaks
Locked out of a Roth IRA because of your income? Learn how the Backdoor Roth works, when it makes sense, and how to avoid common tax mistakes.
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