Second marriages often bring with them a renewed optimism for the future. After all, you’re getting a second chance at a “happily ever after” and this time you have the benefit of more life experience and wisdom.

You likely also have a significantly more complex financial life than you did going into your first marriage. This means you and your partner must be thoughtful and savvy about how you will manage your finances. Use the seven steps below to help you navigate the process and ensure you remain on strong financial footing as you enter this new phase of life together.

Recent world events have made it clearer than ever that it’s imperative to have a long-term financial strategy that allows you to weather volatile economic times. The Roth IRA is a popular tax-minimizing strategy, as it allows for tax-free growth and withdrawals in retirement, and many people make it part of their long-term financial plan. Unfortunately, high-income earners are either limited or ineligible when it comes to Roth contributions. At the moment, that means single individuals with incomes greater than $139,000 and couples with incomes greater than $206,000 in the year 2020 can’t take advantage of Roth IRAs the way those under these thresholds can.

Fortunately, there are a few ways around this. A Backdoor Roth lets you convert a traditional IRA to a Roth – even if your income precludes you from contributing directly to a Roth – through what amounts to some intricate paperwork. We help clients do this carefully and make sure that they report them properly on the tax returns.  The option I’ll discuss below, however, is a different type of tax-advantaged investment altogether. It’s called the Rich Person Roth and, though it’s not for everyone, it can be incredibly valuable for some high earners.

The novel Coronavirus has brought with it a lot of tragedy, devastation, and chaos; many are losing loved ones, finding themselves in financial peril, and questioning their job security. However, it also brought with it a lot of quality life lessons and a significant pause which provides a rare opportunity to turn inward and focus on what you want for your financial future. Normally, people wait until the end of the year to set out short- and long-term goals, but right now is ripe with potential for those who choose to take advantage.

One of the biggest lessons we’re learning is how fragile and short life can be; for those of us who are lucky to be healthy and safe, it’s important that we do what we can to make the most out of what we’ve been given and where we are at. It’s time to think about what you want your life to look like five, ten, twenty years from now – specifically, where you will be in your financial journey. One way to do this is to start a decade into the future – and work backward to understand how you’ll achieve your goals.

The following tips offer a roadmap to follow as you begin planning for a financially successful decade ahead.

This $2 trillion bill is meant to impact both individuals and businesses and contains significant tax-savings measures. It could affect prior tax years while also creating immediate cash flow.

The following is the summary presented by Michael Kitces and Jeffery Levine (www.kitces.com) on March 27, 2020.  I aim to provide you the highlights that may help you in your personal life, business and that may help someone you know.  I am sure we will dive in deeper in the next a few weeks in terms of planning strategies and action plans to improve your financial situation.

As we continue to face uncertain times, the IRS has made a welcome announcement.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has announced that the IRS has decided to extend the filing and payment deadline for 2019 tax returns, allowing taxpayers to defer until July 15. Mnuchin indicated this move will put $300 billion into the economy during a time of great economic concern over the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The payment deferment is subject to certain caps, however. Individuals may defer tax payments of up to $1 million, while corporations may defer up to $10 million. The limits were purposefully selected to benefit small businesses that report income through S corporations, partnerships or other pass-through entities.