Blog
Practical writing on taxes, investing, cash flow, retirement, and financial planning.
HSA Contribution Limits 2026: Self-Only, Family, and the $1,000 Catch-Up
The IRS publishes 2 HSA contribution ceilings for 2026. $4,400 is self-only. $8,750 is family. The $1,000 age-55 catch-up is personal and cannot go into a spouse's HSA.
What Is Tax-Loss Harvesting? The Wash-Sale Rule Is the Hard Part
A wash sale under section 1091 erases the capital loss if you buy a substantially identical security in the 61-day window. Harvested losses offset other gains first. Only $3,000 of leftover net capital loss can reduce ordinary income ($1,500 if you file married filing separately).
What Is NIIT? Wages Flip the Switch, Investment Income Pays
Form 8960 MAGI decides whether the 3.8% NIIT turns on. Net investment income is the pile the tax can hit. W-2 wages can push MAGI over the line without being NIIT income.
What Is a Mega Backdoor Roth? The Limit Is 415(c), Not $24,500
A mega backdoor Roth fills leftover room under the section 415(c) annual-additions cap with after-tax 401(k) dollars, then converts or rolls those dollars to Roth. $24,500 is the 2026 employee deferral, not this strategy's ceiling.
401(k) Contribution Limits 2026: 3 IRS Ceilings
The IRS publishes 3 401(k) ceilings for 2026. $24,500 is the employee deferral. Catch-up and the $72,000 annual-additions cap answer different questions.
Fee-Only vs. Fee-Based Financial Advisors: What Actually Changes?
Fee-only and fee-based describe how an advisor can be paid, not the quality of the plan. Compare compensation, conflicts, fiduciary duty, tax coordination, and total dollar cost.
How to Avoid an AMT Surprise When You Exercise ISOs
Exercising incentive stock options can create alternative minimum tax before you sell a share. Use this framework to size the exercise, preserve cash, and avoid a year-end surprise.
When Should You Exercise Stock Options?
Exercise stock options when the tax, cash cost, expiration risk, and company concentration fit one plan. This framework compares ISOs, NSOs, private-company risk, and holding periods.
What Is a Backdoor Roth? The IRS Piles Every IRA Together
A backdoor Roth is a nondeductible traditional IRA contribution plus a Roth conversion. The IRS treats every traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRA you own as 1 pile, so an old rollover can make most of the conversion taxable.
What Is MAGI? 4 Formulas, 1 AGI Line
MAGI starts from the AGI on Form 1040. Roth, NIIT, IRMAA, and ACA each add different items back. Using the wrong MAGI can close Roth room or trigger a surcharge.
Tax Strategies for High-Income W-2 Employees: 2026 Guide
The best tax strategies for high-income W-2 employees for 2026: retirement accounts, RSUs and stock options, giving, and income timing, all in one plan.
What a Separate CPA and Financial Advisor Really Costs When You Have RSUs
Separate CPA and advisor invoices look fine until RSU withholding, vest timing, and AMT sit in different silos. Here is what the public fee ranges look like and where the handoff fails.
Post-Liquidity Tax and Planning Checklist
After an IPO unlock, tender, or secondary, use this checklist for taxes, cash, and diversification before the year runs ahead of you.
RSU Tax Withholding and Sell-to-Cover: How Vesting Taxes Work
Employers usually withhold a flat 22% on RSU vests and sell shares to cover it. That deposit often sits below what your Form 1040 owes.
Do Roth Conversions Count as Income? A Planning Guide for High Earners
Roth conversions count as taxable income, but not all of it may be taxed. See what's taxed, how it affects your bracket and MAGI, and when converting makes sense.
Why Are RSUs Taxed So High? How to Close the Withholding Gap Before It Becomes an April Surprise
RSUs aren't taxed at a special rate. They're withheld at a flat rate that often falls short. Here's why the gap happens and what determines your tax bill.
What Is a Flat-Fee Financial Advisor? (2026 Guide)
How flat-fee financial advisors work, what they cost, and how a flat fee compares to the 1% AUM model for high earners.
How Much Does a Crypto Tax Accountant Cost? (2026 Guide)
A specialized crypto tax CPA typically runs $500 to $3,000+ a year. Here is what drives the cost, and when software alone is enough.
Best Domain Money Alternatives: 2026 Flat-Fee Advisor Comparison
Domain Money is a flat-fee CFP membership costing $3,900 to $9,000 in year one. Here are the closest alternatives and how they differ on price, taxes, and scope.
Nino is live in beta: The advice that used to require a family office, for the rest of us
A product that finally understands your financial situation, plus a CFP and CPA team
What Happens When You Die Without a Will
With no will, the state's default rules decide who inherits, who's in charge, and who raises your kids. Here's what actually happens.
Top 4 Facet Wealth Alternatives to Consider in 2026
Facet charges a flat annual fee of roughly $2,100 to $8,700. Here are the closest alternatives and how they differ on price, in-house tax filing, and scope.
ISO vs NSO: What's the Difference?
Both are the right to buy company stock at a fixed price. The difference is when and how you're taxed, and new 2026 rules raised the stakes.
What Is a Trump Account? Eligibility, Limits, and How to Enroll
A new tax-advantaged account for kids launches July 2026. Here's who qualifies, the limits, the $1,000 government seed, and how to enroll.
How to use your house as a financial tool
A low fixed-rate mortgage can preserve useful liquidity. Compare its after-tax cost, alternative returns, and household risk before deciding whether to prepay.
529 Plans Just Got a Major Upgrade. Here's What High Earners Need to Know
The rules changed in 2025 and 2026. The most valuable upgrade rewards you for acting 15 years early. The most-hyped one can quietly cost you on your state return.
The Hidden Math of Liquid Tech Equity (And the SpaceX IPO Shock)
The SpaceX IPO turned paper equity into real wealth and a complex tax problem. Here's the option math behind it, and how to plan for yours.
The Cost of "One-Size-Fits-All" Financial Advice for Tech Professionals
Why selling your equity the moment it vests isn't automatically right, and the framework that is.
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost in 2026? (AUM vs. Flat Fee)
Most advisors charge about 1% of assets a year; flat-fee planners charge a set $2,000 to $9,000. Here is what each model really costs over time.
What is QSBS? Section 1202 Tax Exemption Rules (2026 Guide)
Qualified Small Business Stock can exclude up to $15 million of capital gains from federal tax. Here are the rules, the holding periods, and what a 2025 law changed.
RSUs vs. Stock Options: Taxation, Key Differences, and Planning Guide
RSUs are taxed automatically as ordinary income at vesting. Stock options let you control when you trigger tax at exercise. Here is how each works.
Buy, Borrow, Die: How the Tax Minimization Strategy Works
A wealth-preservation strategy that uses loans instead of taxable sales, with stepped-up basis as the key. See the interest, collateral, estate-tax, and policy risks.
How to File a Section 83(b) Election: Step-by-Step Guide
A Section 83(b) election taxes your restricted stock at grant rather than at vesting. Here is how it works and how to file within the strict 30-day window.
Introducing Nino
The night I went quiet at dinner