Estate Planning ·
What Is the Inherited IRA 10-Year Rule?
Most non-spouse heirs who inherit an IRA after 2019 must empty it by the end of the 10th year. A spouse, and a few other heirs, can use a different rule.
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Financial planning, explained in plain English.
Practical articles on investing, retirement, estate, business, and risk planning for Tampa Bay families and business owners, from Mike Garcia, AAMS®.
Retirement Planning ·
Annuity Fees and Charges: What You Are Actually Paying
Annuity fees include an M&E charge, a rider fee, fund expenses, and a surrender charge. Add them in dollars before you keep or replace the contract.
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Retirement Planning ·
Why Are My Taxes Still High in Retirement?
Florida does not tax retirement income. Federal tax still can. Social Security, a pension, and IRA withdrawals can stack on the same return.
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Retirement Planning ·
What Is a Surrender Charge on an Annuity?
An annuity surrender charge is the fee for leaving early. When the period ends, that charge can go to zero. The income base, the rider fee, and the tax stay.
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Retirement Planning ·
Should I Keep My Annuity or Move It? 8 Things to Check First
Check the surrender charge, income base, fees, death benefit, and tax before you keep, exchange, or surrender an annuity.
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Financial Planning ·
Is $100,000 Enough to Work With a Financial Advisor?
Yes, for some fee models. Here is the dollar math on a $100,000 balance, from a financial advisor in Wesley Chapel.
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Retirement Planning ·
How Much of My Social Security Is Taxable?
Up to 85% of Social Security can be taxable federally. Florida does not tax it. The combined-income formula decides the percentage.
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Retirement Planning ·
Can a Roth Conversion Increase Your Medicare Premiums?
A Roth conversion raises MAGI. Medicare IRMAA looks at that income two years later. Here is the 2026 bracket math.
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Retirement Planning ·
Retiring in Florida: What It Actually Costs
No state income tax is real. So are the property insurance premiums, CDD fees, and pre-Medicare healthcare costs that people leave out of the budget.
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Financial Planning ·
CPA or Financial Advisor: What Each One Actually Does
A CPA and a financial advisor solve different problems, and the overlap is smaller than most people assume. Here is who to call, and when you need both.
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Financial Planning ·
How Much Does a Financial Advisor Cost? A Plain-English Breakdown
What financial advisors actually charge, how each fee model works, and the questions that get you a straight answer before you sign anything.
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Estate Planning ·
Florida Has No Estate Tax. Here's the Tax Bill Your Heirs Could Still Get.
Florida has no estate or inheritance tax, but the federal estate tax still applies, and step-up in basis affects far more families.
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Retirement Planning ·
What Happens to Your 401(k) When You Leave a Job?
Left a job in Tampa Bay? The 4 things you can do with your old 401(k), including when a rollover to an IRA is the wrong move.
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How to Choose a Financial Advisor in Tampa Bay: A Practical Checklist
A plain-English checklist for choosing a financial advisor in Tampa Bay, from credentials and fiduciary duty to fees and local fit.
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