For years, grandparents were often told to be careful about using a 529 plan to pay for a grandchild’s college education. The problem was not the 529 itself; it was how the FAFSA treated distributions from a grandparent-owned account. Under the old FAFSA rules, a grandparent could save diligently for
You spend thirty years earning a pension and about six weeks deciding what to do with it. The packet lands, it names a deadline, and it buries the one number that changes your retirement by six figures. Here is how to read it. Name the plan you actually have Confirm
Health Savings Accounts can be incredibly valuable, especially for people who have spent years building a balance and are approaching retirement. But the rules around an HSA and Medicare create one particular trap that catches people off guard. It often affects successful business owners and executives who keep working past
Real estate can be one of the most effective ways for business owners and investors to build long-term wealth. You can collect income, benefit from appreciation, use leverage, and deduct depreciation along the way. The problem often shows up when it is time to sell. An investor may look at
Two Very Different Answers to the Same Question Back-to-school season has a way of making college feel closer, and September is a fitting month to think it through, because it is also when Texas opens enrollment for its prepaid tuition plan. Texas offers both kinds of 529 plans, and they
If you married in Texas, or moved here and stayed, you live in a community property state — one of only nine. Most couples know the phrase. Far fewer know it changes who owns what, how much of it your will can direct, and what the survivor pays in tax
For DFW business owners, 401(k) plans have become more than a retirement benefit. They can play an important role in attracting employees, retaining key talent, and helping business owners build long-term wealth. But, just like everything else in life, retirement plan rules continue to evolve. The SECURE 2.0 Act introduced
December is the wrong month to start thinking about taxes. Most of the decisions that move a high earner’s tax bill lock in before the calendar turns, and the return your accountant prepares next spring simply records choices you finished making months earlier. Texas levies no individual income tax, so
Building wealth rarely happens because of one perfect investment. For most families, it happens through a series of good decisions made at the right times: buying a home without stretching too far, protecting income, saving for college, investing consistently, managing taxes, and eventually turning savings into retirement income. For families
Westlake is a small town with a complicated balance sheet. One municipality, split across Tarrant and Denton counties, with three different school districts depending on which side of town you live on. Drive from Solana over to Entrada and you pass more corporate square footage than most towns our size