Charitably inclined? Pair a donor-advised fund with your estate plan
Charitably inclined? Pair a donor-advised fund with your estate plan

Your estate plan is the perfect place to make charitable gifts if you’re a charitably inclined individual. One vehicle to consider using is a donor-advised fund (DAF).

What’s the main attraction? Among other benefits, a DAF allows you to set aside funds for charitable giving while you’re alive, and you (or your heirs) can direct donations over time. Plus, in your estate plan, you can designate your DAF as a beneficiary to receive assets upon your death, ensuring continued charitable giving in your name.

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Nikki DaleyEstate Planning, Estates
D&O insurance may be worth considering for some companies
D&O insurance may be worth considering for some companies

Strong leadership is essential to running a successful business. However, as perhaps you’ve experienced, playing the role of a strong leader can force you to make tough decisions that expose you to legal claims.

Business owners who are particularly worried about this type of risk can buy directors and officers (D&O) insurance to hedge against it. Although every small to midsize business may not need one of these policies, some should consider buying coverage.

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Nikki DaleyBusiness, Business Planning
Taming the tax tangle if you’re retiring soon
Taming the tax tangle if you’re retiring soon

Retirement is often viewed as an opportunity to travel, spend time with family or simply enjoy the fruits of a long career. Yet the transition may bring a tangle of tax considerations. Planning carefully can help you minimize tax bills. Below are four steps to take if you’re approaching retirement, along with the tax implications.

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Nikki DaleyTax Planning
Small business strategy: A heavy vehicle plus a home office equals tax savings
Small business strategy: A heavy vehicle plus a home office equals tax savings

New and used “heavy” SUVs, pickups and vans placed in service in 2025 are potentially eligible for big first-year depreciation write-offs. One requirement is you must use the vehicle more than 50% for business. If your business usage is between 51% and 99%, you may be able to deduct that percentage of the cost in the first year. The write-off will reduce your federal income tax bill and your self-employment tax bill, if applicable. You might get a state tax income deduction too.

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Nikki DaleyTax Planning, Business Planning
Do you have questions about taking IRA withdrawals? We’ve got answers
Do you have questions about taking IRA withdrawals? We’ve got answers

Once you reach age 73, tax law requires you to begin taking withdrawals — called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) — from your traditional IRA, SIMPLE IRA and SEP IRA. Since funds can’t stay in these accounts indefinitely, it’s important to understand the rules behind RMDs, which can be pretty complex. Below, we address some common questions to help you navigate this process.

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Nikki DaleyTax Planning, RMD
2025 Tax Calendar
2025 Tax Calendar

To help make sure you don’t miss any important 2025 deadlines, we’re providing this summary of when various tax-related forms, payments and other actions are due. Please review the calendar and let us know if you have any questions about the deadlines or would like assistance meeting them.

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Nikki Daley2025 Tax Calendar
It’s not too late to trim your 2024 taxes
It’s not too late to trim your 2024 taxes

As the end of the year draws near, savvy taxpayers look for ways to reduce their tax bills. This year, the sense of urgency is higher for many because of some critical factors.

Indeed, many of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025, absent congressional action. However, with President-Elect Donald Trump set to take power in 2025 and a unified GOP Congress, the chances have greatly improved that many provisions will be extended or made permanent. With these factors in mind, here are tax-related strategies to consider before year end.

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Nikki DaleyTaxes, Tax Planning
Now what? Assessing the likely tax impacts of the 2024 election
Now what? Assessing the likely tax impacts of the 2024 election

President-Elect Donald Trump will return to the White House in 2025 — a year that already was expected to see significant activity on the federal tax front. A projected unified GOP Congress is poised to help him notch early legislative tax victories. (Republicans have won back a majority in the U.S. Senate and are projected to retain a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.) The most obvious legislative win will likely be the extension and expansion of Trump’s signature 2017 tax legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

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Nikki DaleyTaxes, Tax Planning, Business Planning, Tax Filing Deadline