If you ask several financial professionals about owning commercial real estate or even just owning your own building as a small business owner, some will think it is a great idea and others will think it is a terrible idea.

Many family members give money to their children. For children with lower incomes, there is an opportunity to give them appreciated stock to shift the capital gains to a lower tax bracket.

After you reach the age of 70 1/2, the IRS requires you to begin taking minimum distributions from your traditional retirement accounts. The money you contribute to a traditional retirement account is not counted as income in the year you contribute it. As a result, it is put into the account without paying any tax.

Safe withdrawal rate calculations are complex but, when done correctly, can provide an accurate assessment of a safe retirement lifestyle specifically for you.

The best time to file for Social Security depends on the ages and income histories of both husband and wife. That being said, filing for Social Security at age 70 or at least after age 66 is usually best.

Many Americans generously give to charity. Giving appreciated stock through a donor advised fund has several benefits over other methods of giving.

As we have said before, estate planning is terribly difficult. Estate attorneys are expensive, the experience of working with them often awkward and frustrating, and the final set of documents wordy and confusing.

IRS rules are confusing and confused. Taking advantage of all the different types of accounts can result in great tax savings. It can also result in making mistakes. One common mistake is to contribute more than you are allowed to your Roth IRA.

Your ability to contribute to a Roth 401(k) or Roth 403(b) is not limited by your income, but your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA is restricted as your income goes beyond a certain threshold.

One dollar is just the same as another dollar. Curiously though, our emotions do not perceive the world this way. To our emotions, our paycheck feels different from a gift card which feels different from a tax refund.