New tax rules require certain employees age 50 and older who earned more than $150,000 in W-2 wages in the prior year to make retirement plan catch-up contributions on a Roth basis. This change eliminates the upfront tax deduction and may increase taxable income, affect Medicare Part B and D premiums, and limit other income-based…
Estate & Legacy, Investment Planning
Roth IRA for Kids: How Custodial Roth IRAs Work and When They Make Sense Summary: A Roth IRA for a child can be a useful planning tool when earned income exists, but it’s not a default strategy and should not replace education-focused accounts like 529 plans. Custodial Roth IRAs follow standard IRS rules, including earned income requirements and…
February delivered one of the more dramatic market reactions in recent memory, driven not by an economic data release, but by a personnel decision. News that President Trump intends to nominate Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell as Chair of the Federal Reserve sent shockwaves through the gold and silver trading markets. If there’s such…
Welcome to our January 2026 Viewpoints, a monthly bulletin from PDS Planning to our valued clients and friends. Our goal with each issue of Viewpoints is to provide you with a wide variety of perspectives on life and wealth. Feel free to share with others. Varying Lengths of Bull Markets The chart below shows the length…
2025: A Masterclass in Tuning Out the Noise If you felt like 2025 was an exhausting year to be an investor, you weren’t alone. Between tariff announcements, government shutdowns, and the 24/7 news cycle constantly reminding us the sky might be falling, it would have been easy to throw in the towel and move everything…
Welcome to our December 2025 Viewpoints, a monthly bulletin from PDS Planning to our valued clients and friends. Our goal with each issue of Viewpoints is to provide you with a wide variety of perspectives on life and wealth. Feel free to share with others. Impact of Tariffs Data and analysis from the Tax Foundation shows…
Big Changes Are Coming to Retirement Contributions in 2026 The IRS has released updated retirement plan contribution limits for 2026, and several SECURE Act 2.0 changes take effect on January 1, 2026. For high-income earners and retirees who delegate financial complexity to advisors, these updates will influence tax strategy, plan contributions, and how much you…
The holiday shopping season is off to a record-breaking start. From Black Friday through Cyber Monday, shoppers spent $44.2 billion—up 8% from last year and well above expectations. Consumers are on track to spend $250 billion this holiday season for the first time ever. Contrary to what increased consumer spending typically signals, November consumer sentiment…
Estate & Legacy, Retirement, Taxes
The end of year is nearing, and these final weeks of the year present a critical window for implementing strategies that can significantly reduce your tax liability and advance your long-term financial goals. With this timeline in mind, here are some things to consider before year-end to help ensure your financial plans remain on track. 1. Optimize…
Welcome to our November 2025 Viewpoints, a monthly bulletin from PDS Planning to our valued clients and friends. Our goal with each issue of Viewpoints is to provide you with a wide variety of perspectives on life and wealth. Feel free to share with others. Precipitous CapEx Since the end of 2023, capital expenditures from Meta,…
If you donate to charity each year, there’s an important tax change coming in 2026 that may reduce how much of your charitable giving is deductible. That’s why many families may be better off accelerating part of their multi-year charitable gifts into 2025, locking in today’s higher deduction while still supporting the same causes on…
Year-end capital gain distributions can create unexpected tax bills for investors — even when no trades were made. Many people understand that selling an investment at a profit creates taxable income, but fewer realize that mutual funds can generate capital gains internally, resulting in what’s often called “phantom income.” Because fund companies typically release distribution…
Education savings is a meaningful part of many families’ financial plans, and 529 plans remain one of the most effective and tax-efficient ways to prepare for future college or K–12 expenses. As tuition costs continue to rise, clients often want to understand how 529 plans work, how much they should save, and what happens if…
As part of our 40th anniversary celebration, PDS Planning invited clients, colleagues, and community members to help us make an impact by voting for local nonprofits that reflect our shared values of service and community well-being. After weeks of enthusiastic participation (thank you!), we are proud to announce that Dublin Food Pantry received the highest…
The House of Representatives returned the evening of November 12th and voted on the amended bill to end the longest government shutdown in US history after 43 days. From the market’s point of view, this is positive news. Economists are going to start getting their data back, workers will get paid, and people can more…
