Tax Strategy Archives | Howe & Rusling

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Understanding the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA): Key Tax and Financial Policy Updates

Eric Udvari August 8, 2025

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is here—now what?
Signed into law in July 2025, the OBBBA introduces major changes across the U.S. tax code, from income tax rates and estate exemptions to EV credits, charitable giving rules, and new deductions for working Americans.

In this summary by Eric Udvari, CFP®, CPWA®, AAMS®, you’ll get a clear, practical overview of what’s changing, what’s still in flux, and what steps may be worth considering now.

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Navigating 2025 Market Volatility: Financial Strategies for Investors

Michael Carrico April 17, 2025

Watching stock prices fall is an uncomfortable experience for investors no matter the circumstances under which it occurs. It can feel uncontrollable and make us feel powerless over something so incredibly important to our futures. It’s perfectly reasonable to dislike that experience. As I’m checking in with my clients, I want to hear how they are feeling right now. No matter what emotions you are experiencing, it’s healthy to share that experience and maybe to get another perspective. There is some common wisdom which circulates widely in times like these, “just don’t look.” That can certainly be good advice for the right kind of person, but it might not work for everyone. Sometimes having something to do can help us feel a sense of agency in turbulent times and alleviate some discomfort. With that in mind, I want to share with you my list of action items for periods of market volatility. Hopefully, you will find a tip or two to help you feel empowered.

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Understanding the SECURE Act Inherited IRA Rules

Elizabeth Hutton November 22, 2024

This legislation significantly reshaped retirement savings laws, particularly concerning how distributions are managed for beneficiaries of retirement accounts inherited in 2020 or later, especially non-spousal ones. The new rules, effective in 2025, address longstanding questions about the interpretation of the 10-year rule, which mandates that most retirement plan and IRA beneficiaries must fully deplete the inherited account within ten years of the account holder’s death. These regulations impact beneficiaries and their strategies for managing inherited retirement accounts. Here’s a detailed look at the finalized RMD regulations for inherited retirement plans and IRAs. This piece is only applicable to accounts inherited

Street$marts: 6 common problems we help our wealth management clients address

Sarah Swan February 15, 2024

Sarah Swan, Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Manager at Howe & Rusling, covers some very common issues we often see when it comes to clients’ investments or finances generally.

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

Dylan Potter February 7, 2024

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.

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

Andrea Gray January 12, 2024

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.

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

Ryan Tomko December 18, 2023

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

Michael Carrico December 15, 2023

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.

Your Guide to HSA Year-End Contributions

Michael Carrico December 12, 2023

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.

Navigating the Roth Conversion Window

Elizabeth Hutton November 28, 2023

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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