Tax Strategies
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Posted on March 16, 2026 by Dan Pascone
Mega Backdoor Roth 2026: How to Use Your 401(k) Limit
TL;DR Answer Box Mega Backdoor Roth 2026 is how high earners may move after-tax 401(k) contributions into Roth (either inside the plan or to a Roth IRA) so future growth can be tax-free. The catch is that you need three plan features (after-tax contributions, a conversion or in-service rollover path, and clean recordkeeping), and you […]
Posted on February 23, 2026 by Dan Pascone
Stop Confusing Your Portfolio with Your Plan
TL;DR Answer Box If your “plan” is a portfolio pie chart, a Monte Carlo percentage, and a net worth snapshot, you may not have a plan. You may have an investment proposal. A real financial plan is a living model across six phases that helps you quantify trade-offs (taxes, equity comp, goals, work optional timing) […]
Posted on February 16, 2026 by Dan Pascone
What Is a Real Financial Plan? The 6-Phase Framework High Earners Actually Need
TL;DR Answer Box If you have a comp plan but no 10-year financial plan, you are optimizing income without designing outcomes. A decade plan starts with a clear picture of your life in ten years, then connects equity decisions, taxes, spending, and investing to that target. The goal is not prediction. The goal is a […]
Posted on February 2, 2026 by Dan Pascone
Build an Executive Income & Equity Calendar to Avoid Surprise Tax Bills
TL;DR Answer Box If you get RSUs, a bonus, ESPP purchases, or stock option windows, you need a 12-month income and equity calendar before you need another tax strategy. The goal is simple: map every income spike and equity event for the next 12 months, then attach one of three tax moves to each event […]
Posted on January 26, 2026 by Dan Pascone
Three Simple Moves to Fix The Bonus and RSU Tax Surprise
TL;DR Answer Box Your bonus is not fully taxed yet. If your household income is north of ~$400,000 and you’re receiving bonuses and/or RSU vests, the default 22% federal “supplemental withholding” is often below your true marginal rate. That mismatch is why April surprises happen. Fix it with three levers: (1) increase W-4 withholding on […]
Posted on November 17, 2025 by Dan Pascone
Remote Work Tax Traps for Executives: Avoid These 3 Costly Mistakes
TL;DR Answer Box Remote work tax traps for executives usually come from three places: (1) assigned-office sourcing rules that can treat at-home days as worked in a higher-tax state, (2) city wage taxes where “required” days can create refunds but “convenience” days often do not, and (3) multi-state equity allocation on RSU vests and option […]
Posted on October 27, 2025 by Dan Pascone
Donor-Advised Funds: The Tax-Smart Way to Give
TL;DR Answer Box A donor-advised fund (DAF) lets high earners contribute in peak-income years, potentially take an immediate charitable deduction (subject to itemizing, AGI limits, and other rules), and grant to charities over time on your schedule. When funded with long-term appreciated assets, a DAF can also help you avoid capital gains you might owe […]
Posted on September 29, 2025 by Dan Pascone
2025 Tax Law Changes for Executives: What to Do Now
TL;DR Answer Box 2025 tax law changes for executives are now a real planning input for 2026 and beyond. The point is not to react to headlines. The point is to translate what changed into decisions: income timing, deductions, entity strategy, capex planning, estate moves, and equity-comp coordination. Use the checklist below to prioritize the […]
Posted on September 17, 2025 by Dan Pascone
10b5-1 Plans for RSUs: From Legal Protection to Long-Term Diversification
TL;DR Answer Box 10b5-1 plan for RSUs: The best 10b5-1 plan is not a compliance checkbox. It is a rules-based diversification system that turns inevitable RSU sales into predictable cash flow, lower single-stock risk, cleaner tax outcomes, and calmer optics when Form 4 filings post. Build it when you are “clean,” use a clear schedule […]
Posted on August 7, 2025 by Dan Pascone
Is Your Exit Plan Half-Baked? Here’s How Founders Turn Valuation into Legacy
TL;DR Answer Box A big exit number is not the same thing as after-tax, usable wealth. The gap between a “headline valuation” and what your family keeps is usually driven by (1) QSBS eligibility + stacking, (2) pre-sale estate planning (GRAT/SLAT/defined-value clauses) completed 18–36 months pre-close, and (3) deal + payout sequencing (installments, earnouts, equity […]