The holidays are nearly upon us – a time of giving, goodwill to others, and embracing traditions. For many people, giving to a charity or organization that aligns with your values provides a sense of fulfillment. If you itemize deductions on your income tax return, you can deduct gifts made to charities. Here are six year-end giving strategies to spread holiday cheer with the additional gift of potential tax benefits.   1.  Making cash gifts If you give cash, you may deduct up to 60% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). Giving cash also provides the charity better flexibility when ...

Whipping winds, deep snow, and icy roadways—all these things may sound like every human’s winter nightmare, but these hazardous conditions can pose a threat to our pets, too. Just like us, certain adjustments need to be made to help our pets adapt to the changing season. Grooming and personal care As you might consider cutting your hair less and applying more lotion to protect against harsh winter air, your pet’s grooming needs change with the weather as well. Trimming or shaving Long-haired dogs should only receive a trim this time of year, as the long coat helps keep them warm. ...

For many, retirement is the phase of life to kick back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of years of working and saving. However, financial decisions before and during retirement can significantly influence our quality of life and tax liability. Therefore, employing tax-smart retirement withdrawal strategies may help you maximize your retirement nest egg. Here are seven tax-smart retirement withdrawal strategies to help mitigate your tax burden and help you maintain financial confidence throughout retirement: 1. Tap into your non-retirement accounts first Withdrawing money from your non-retirement accounts may make sense earlier in retirement. Why? The IRS doesn’t tax the principal ...

Consider whether a donor advised fund can help build a more generous world   November brings us Thanksgiving – a day for simply giving thanks. The 11th month also brings us Black Friday and Cyber Monday – two days encouraging us to shop. And since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving also offers us #GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving where we can come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give back. According to GivingTuesday.org, last year saw $2.7 billion given in donations in the U.S. alone, with 35 million adults participating in a variety of ways, including donations, ...