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Tax Planning
Tax topics, including new laws and the opportunities they create.
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Tax Planning, for whoever you are
Five topics run across everything MCF publishes: Company News, Investment Markets, Financial Planning, Tax Planning and Estate Planning. Narrow by who you are or by format, or search.
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Showing Tax Planning for everyone, all formats, newest first.
Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
The Hidden Tax Risks in Your Retirement and Estate Plan
Many investors spend years diligently saving and investing for retirement. Yet one of the biggest threats to long-term wealth isn’t market volatility—it’s taxes. Over time, successful savers often accumulate substantial balances in retirement accounts, taxable investment…
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Plan SponsorsTax Planning
IRS Issues Final Regs on Roth Mandatory Catch-ups for High Earners
The IRS has finalized regulations under SECURE 2.0 that will impact how certain participants save for retirement. Under this change, employees with prior-year FICA wages above $150,000 will no longer be able to make pre-tax catch-up contributions to their 401(k), 403(b), or…
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
How the New Tax Law May Impact Your Personal & Business Finances
On July 3, 2025, following an all-night session, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) by a 218-214 vote. This follows the Senate’s approval on July 1, and President Trump signed the bill into law on July 4, 2025.
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ParticipantsTax Planning
The Ultimate Guide to Tax Savings
As tax laws evolve and personal financial situations change, it's essential to stay informed about strategies that can help minimize your tax burden. Here are several tips to consider.
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
Inherited IRA Withdrawal Rules from the Secure Act
By now, most people are aware the Secure Act, passed in 2020, contained major changes to the rules surrounding distribution requirements from Inherited IRAs for accounts inherited in 2020 or after. Primarily, this law eliminated the Stretch IRA provision for non-spousal…
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ParticipantsTax Planning
Roth in Review
Roth retirement plan contributions have the potential to allow individuals more flexibility in saving for retirement, whereby giving investors more control over the taxable alternatives. However, it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Read more to see if Roth is right for…
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
Fiscal Fitness: Exercising your Right to Tax Planning
Tax season is looming on the horizon, which can prove a period of stress for many people if they are not prepared and organized. Here are tips to consider as we approach tax season.
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
Are Roth Conversions Right for You?
The IRS has three ways to process a Roth conversion: a rollover from a traditional IRA in the form of a check that is deposited into a Roth IRA, a trustee-to-trustee transfer which transfers money from a traditional IRA at one institution to a Roth IRA at another institution…
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
Embracing the Impact of Donor Advised Funds: A Smart Approach to Tax Efficient Philanthropy
Donor Advised Funds are charitable investment accounts that facilitate gifting of cash, securities, or other assets into a fund that is managed by a trusted institution.
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
What are the Benefits of a Stepped Up Basis?
A stepped up basis is an adjustment to an asset’s cost basis to the fair market value of the asset at the time of the decedent’s death.
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
Social Security Taxation
Social Security income is designed to replace a percentage of a worker’s pre-retirement income in order to get them through retirement securely. While the significance of Social Security may differ with each retiree’s circumstances, it is nevertheless important to understand…
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
A Look into Tax Loss Harvesting
Tax Loss Harvesting is a term that gets thrown around frequently in the wealth management industry, but is infrequently accompanied by a definition, purpose, or real-life examples. Let’s look at what tax loss harvesting is, why it is important, and one example to help…
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
Understanding Capital Gains
A capital gain is generated from the sale of a capital asset, generally an investment-type asset. Not all capital gains are considered equal in the eyes of the IRS. A gain from the sale of a capital asset held for less than a year is considered a short-term capital gain and is…
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
MCF Insights: Tax-Efficient Investing
Taxes are a reality of life. As a result, taxes should be included in the evaluation and construction of any portfolio plan. Investors that ignore the effect of taxes on investments may end up paying higher taxes and earlier than needed.
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Individuals & FamiliesTax Planning
Tax Diversification
For Maximum Retirement Income You Need Tax Diversification One of the most important tenets of investing for retirement is to diversify broadly for the best possible long-term returns in your portfolio. However, for the best possible outcome in generating maximum retirement…
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