Financial Planning

map with compass

Distance and Time

Land navigation, in Army jargon, is the act of navigating from one point to another over long distances in varied terrain using a map, protractor, and compass. Every major selection event in the Army (Ranger School, Special Forces selection, etc.) has a graded land navigation component as part of the larger selection event.

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Business Entity Selection for Small Business Owners 

One of the most important decisions that small business owners face is selecting the right type of business entity. There are many options available, such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLC), and corporations. The type of entity you select will affect everything from your day-to-day operations to the amount of liability you are exposing yourself to. This article will evaluate the pros and cons of each option in order to help you determine which structure would suit you and your business the best.

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 A Guide to the 72(q)/72(t) Distribution Method 

In this episode of StreetSmarts, Dylan Potter, Vice President and Wealth Manager at Howe & Rusling, delves into the intricacies of Section 72(q)/72(t) of the tax code, which provides a distribution method that will allow you the flexibility to draw on retirement accounts, penalty-free, before the age of 59 ½.

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How to Plan for the 2025 Sunset of the Federal Estate Tax Exemption 

As of January 1, 2026, the current lifetime estate and gift tax exemptions will sunset and revert to 2017 amounts (adjusted for inflation), resulting in exemptions that will be half of what they are now. Families that face estate tax liability in 2026, roughly speaking if your assets are at, above, or will grow to $5 million at the time of death, could potentially save a significant amount by making strategic changes to their estate and financial plans now.

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Your Year-End Financial Checklist: Contributions, Tax Planning and more  

I know that we’re all in the midst of planning for the holidays. As we create our to-do list for preparing for family gatherings, gift giving, and other festivities, we at Howe & Rusling also think it’s important to create a financial check list before we ring in the new year. We would like to highlight seven points that would be beneficial to review.

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The Important Things: tuning out the financial noise to focus on what really matters

As the end of the year rapidly approaches and we all spend time with our friends, family, and loved ones, it feels as though time is accelerating and 2023 will be in the past before we know it. Reflecting on the topics of blog articles this year, I wrote about legislation a few times including changes to Roth rules, debt ceiling battles, and banking regulation interventions. Macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical tensions, and market reactions to both were also common topics. Perhaps the most common subject was the Federal Reserve and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and it was so frequent that we need not count. There was another Federal Reserve meeting this week and, while the Summary of Economic Projections was a point of some interest for the markets, reflecting on such a strange year for economics and the markets got me thinking of the bigger picture. Perhaps it’s the season, but it feels like a good time to take a step back and reflect not on the noise of the financial press and the minutiae of the financial markets, but on the reasons we all bother to get up in the morning, go to work, do the hard things, and invest for the future.

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Your Guide to HSA Year-End Contributions

With the year swiftly coming to a close it’s time for taxpayers to think about those year-end financial housekeeping items.  While there are many topics to consider such as year-end tax deadlines, portfolio allocation, and the cost of the holidays, what we’re thinking about today is Health Savings Accounts or “HSAs.” Today we’ll review HSA contribution limits and deadlines, the value of HSAs as a tax planning and retirement planning tool, and investing your HSA balance.

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Tiger Woods’ Putting Precision: Lessons in Consistency

Tiger Woods’ journey to becoming a golf maestro carries an additional layer of significance in the context of his early golf career. Contrary to the conventional pursuit of mastering the longest drive off the tee, Tiger consciously chose to prioritize an aspect of the game often deemed less glamorous – putting.

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Navigating the Roth Conversion Window

In this episode of StreetSmarts, Elizabeth Hutton, Vice President and Financial Planner at Howe & Rusling, delves into the intricacies of Roth Conversions. Discover how high earners can navigate Roth IRA contribution limits, and explore the strategic “Roth Conversion Window” between retirement and required minimum distributions. She will guide you through the criteria for optimal candidates, shed light on critical considerations, and unveil the strategic benefits, from mitigating future tax risks to enhancing estate planning.

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