NQDC Plans: Worth the Employer Risk?
Non-qualified deferred compensation can cut your tax bill, but the balance is an unsecured IOU from your employer. Here is when an NQDC plan is worth the risk.
Tag: taxes
All the articles with the tag "taxes".
State Tax Residency When You Move
Moving from California or New York to Texas? Your old state may still tax you. Domicile, the 184-day test, the convenience rule and audits, with 2025 numbers.
Direct Indexing: Worth the Fee?
Direct indexing costs 3 to 13 times more than an index ETF and only pays off through tax-loss harvesting. Here's the break-even math for tech-worker incomes.
Concentrated Stock: Sell or Exchange Fund?
Exchange funds defer tax on a concentrated stock position for 7 years but cost 1%+ a year and require $500k+ minimums. Here's when they actually beat selling.
Which Account to Drain First
Taxable, then traditional, then Roth is a fine default at 65 and a costly one at 45. The bracket-filling alternative, with the 2026 tax math worked out.
Donate Stock, Not Cash
If you give to charity and hold appreciated stock, writing a check is the worst option. Donating shares skips capital gains tax and still deducts full value.
QSBS: The $10M Tax Break
QSBS lets qualifying startup stock skip federal capital gains tax on millions in profit, but exercise late or structure a buyout wrong and you lose it entirely.
529 Plans and the Roth Rollover
The old objection to 529s, what if my kid skips college, just got a lot weaker. The SECURE 2.0 Roth IRA rollover changes the entire funding calculation.
Should Your Side Gig Be an S-Corp?
Below about $50,000 in net profit, an S-corp election costs more than it saves. Here's the salary-split math, the real costs, and the breakeven number.
RSU Taxes When You Move States
Move from California to Texas, vest RSUs a year later, and you can still owe California tax on part of that vest. How state sourcing for equity works.
The 83(b) Election: Your 30-Day Window
The 83(b) election has a strict 30-day deadline with no extensions. File it and a future tax bill shrinks to pocket change. Miss it and it can cost six figures.
A Roth IRA for Your Kid
Your teenager's summer lawn-mowing money can fund a Roth IRA that compounds for 50 years. Here's how custodial Roth IRAs actually work, funding trick included.