2023 Year-End Strategic Financial Considerations
Investments

2023 Year-End Strategic Financial Considerations

As the year draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking about your financial strategy for the upcoming year.

Let’s dive into what you should be thinking about as we approach the end of the year.

Tax Planning: Minimize Your Tax Bite

One of the key aspects of year-end planning is tax management. It’s time to fine-tune your trading to book tax losses that can be rolled into the next year. But that’s not all. Here are a few more tax-related considerations:

Required Minimum Distributions (RMD): If you’re in the retirement phase, make sure you’ve taken your RMDs. Remember that the IRS has waived penalties for inherited IRA RMDs in 2023, with additional guidance expected in 2024. You can also directly gift a portion of your RMD to charity, avoiding taxable income on your return.

Charitable and Family Gifting: Consider making the most of the $17,000 per person gift-tax “free” limit. There’s also the option of making unlimited payments directly to educational institutions and healthcare.

Roth Conversations: Explore the benefits of Roth conversions. They might make sense for your financial situation.

Inherited Retirement Plans: If you’re dealing with non-spousal inherited retirement plans after 2020, remember that the 10-year liquidation rule still applies, but you have flexibility in timing if the deceased account owner died before their Required Beginning Date.

Philanthropy: Make an Impact with Donor-Advised Funds (DAF)

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are a powerful tool for philanthropy. They allow you to gift appreciated assets to charity, claim a tax deduction, and avoid taxes on the sale of the asset. Plus, you have control over how and when the money is distributed to charities. If you haven’t explored this option, now might be the time.

Risk Management: Protect What Matters

Insurance is an integral part of your financial plan. If you’re considering insurance reviews or have questions about your coverage, we’ve recently added Allyn Hughes as our Director of Risk Management. We’ll provide more details on this offer in Q1 2024. In the meantime, your Wealth Advisor is here to assist you with any immediate needs.

Estate Planning: Secure Your Legacy

The end of 2025 might seem distant, but when it comes to estate planning, it’s just around the corner. The current unified credit of $12.92 million per person is set to reset around $7 million without new tax laws. Ensure your estate documents, including your Will, Trust, Durable Power of Attorney for Finance, Durable Power of Attorney for Health, HIPAA release, and Health Care Directives, are up to date and provided to your advisor for review.

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At Mission Wealth, we’re committed to helping you make informed financial decisions. Reach out to your Wealth Advisor or contact us for a free consultation. Let’s make the most of the year-end planning opportunities together.

Mission Wealth is a Registered Investment Adviser. This commentary reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints, and analyses of the Mission Wealth employees providing such comments. It should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by Mission Wealth or performance returns of any Mission Wealth client. The views reflected in the commentary are subject to change at any time without notice. Nothing in this commentary constitutes investment advice, performance data, or any recommendation that any particular security, portfolio of securities, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. Mission Wealth manages its clients’ accounts using a variety of investment techniques and strategies, which are not necessarily discussed in the commentary. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Year-end financial planning encompasses tax management, charitable giving, risk management, and estate planning — each offering time-sensitive opportunities to optimize your financial position. Key actions include taking required minimum distributions, maximizing gift-tax-free contributions, exploring Roth conversions, and reviewing estate documents before the 2025 tax law sunset. Proactive coordination of these strategies with a wealth advisor ensures you capture available benefits before year-end deadlines pass.

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Schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to discuss your unique situation and financial goals.

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Brad Stark
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Stark

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brad Stark

Brad Stark is the Co-Founder, CFO, and CCO of Mission Wealth, a leading wealth management firm that has been recognized as one of America’s “Top Wealth Managers.” With his extensive experience in the financial industry, Brad is a key member of the firm’s Leadership Team, Investment Committee and Board Member. He is responsible for providing visionary leadership and driving the strategic direction of the company to achieve its mission of helping clients achieve their financial goals.

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