Roth vs. Traditional: Pay Tax Now or Later?
Pay tax at today's known rate with Roth, or defer with Traditional and risk higher retirement rates — compare brackets, RMDs, and IRS limits to decide.
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IRA contributions, tracking, and retirement planning
Form 1040-SR, Explained: The Large-Print Senior Tax Return, Who Can File It, and the 65-and-Older Standard Deduction Boost
Form 1040-SR is the large-print IRS return for filers 65 and older, with a built-in chart for the $2,000-plus senior standard deduction boost.
Your Teen's First W-2 Job: Filing Rules, W-4 Withholding, and the Roth IRA Head Start
A teen with only W-2 wages owes no IRS income tax under $16,100 for 2026 — file anyway to reclaim withholding, and fund a Roth IRA with 0%-taxed dollars.
Refund, Apply, or Split? How to Turn This Year's IRS Overpayment Into Next Year's Estimated Taxes
Applying your IRS overpayment to next year's estimates is irrevocable — take the refund, apply it forward, or split it via Form 8888 deliberately.
The Once-in-a-Lifetime IRA-to-HSA Rollover: How the Qualified HSA Funding Distribution Works
The IRS allows one tax-free IRA-to-HSA transfer per lifetime, capped at the HSA limit — fail the 12-month test and it is taxable income plus 10%.
Charitable Gift Annuities, Explained: Lifetime Income, a Tax Deduction, and Capital-Gains Relief in One Gift
A charitable gift annuity trades a lump sum for lifetime income plus an IRS deduction — fundable with cash, stock, or a $55,000 IRA QCD.
Still Working Past 73? How to Legally Delay Your 401(k) RMDs Until You Retire
The IRS still-working exception lets non-5% owners delay 401(k) RMDs past 73 until retirement — but only from a current employer plan that allows it.
When the Lemonade Stand Makes Bank: The $400 Tax Rule Every Teen Entrepreneur Hits
A teen owes a tax return at just $400 of net self-employment income — no age minimum. How the 15.3% SE tax, the $1,000 estimated-tax tripwire, the $20,000 1099-K threshold, and a custodial Roth IRA fit together.
The Rule of 55: Tapping Your 401(k) Early Without the 10% Penalty
Separate from your employer during or after the calendar year you turn 55 and distributions from that employer's 401(k) escape the 10% early-withdrawal penalty — but not ordinary income tax, and not a rollover into an IRA. How the separation-from-service exception works, the age-50 public safety version, the 20% withholding haircut, and the five mistakes that forfeit it.
SIMPLE IRA vs. SIMPLE 401(k) in 2026: Contribution Limits, Deadlines, and the 2-Year Rollover Rule Every Small Employer Needs to Know
Both SIMPLE plans share a $17,000 employee deferral limit for 2026, but they split on Form 5500 filing, participant loans, and the SIMPLE IRA's 25% early-distribution tax during its two-year rollover restriction. A practical comparison for employers with 100 or fewer employees, with the payroll deadlines, catch-up limits by age band, and the reconciliation workflow to run either plan cleanly.
Vermont Saves and New York Secure Choice: The 2026 Auto-IRA Rules for Small Employers
Vermont Saves reached employers with five or more workers on July 1, 2026, and New York Secure Choice finished its three-wave rollout on July 15, 2026. What each program requires, the penalties ($20 rising to $75 per employee in Vermont, $250 per employee per year in New York), and how to book the withholding as a payroll liability rather than an expense.
The IRA Contribution Limit Hits $7,500 for 2026: Your Freelancer and Small-Business Owner's Guide to the First Big Increase in Years
The IRA contribution limit rises to $7,500 for 2026 — the first base increase since 2023 — plus a new $1,100 catch-up at 50+. Learn who qualifies, how it stacks with Solo 401(k) and SEP, and how freelancers can capture the extra room before April 15, 2027.