Posts by SmartAsset Team
How to Invest
Steepening Yield Curve: Types and Uses for Investors
Bond investors pay close attention to the shape of the yield curve because it can offer clues about where interest rates and the economy may be headed. A steepening yield curve can signal changing expectations for economic growth, inflation or Federal Reserve policy. While it is not a guarantee of what comes next, it can… read more…
Financial Planning
How Can a Financial Advisor Help With a Car Loan?
You’ve found the perfect car. The salesperson is talking numbers. But somewhere between the test drive and the financing office, a five-year commitment starts to feel like a quick decision. It’s a big decision, too. The monthly payment alone can cost you thousands of dollars in interest you never saw coming. While most people don’t… read more…
Trusts
Is a Revocable Trust a Grantor Trust? IRS Tax Rules
Many people create revocable living trusts to avoid probate and simplify the transfer of assets. However, few understand how the IRS treats these trusts. One of the most common questions is whether a revocable trust is considered a grantor trust, and in most cases the answer is yes. That distinction determines who pays income taxes… read more…
Tax Filing
When Do Dependents File Taxes? Rules and Triggers
Dependents may be required to file their own federal tax return depending on the type and amount of their income. For tax year 2026 (filed in 2027), a dependent generally must file if earned income exceeds $16,100, or if unearned income exceeds $1,350.1 Being claimed as a dependent does not eliminate the filing requirement. Instead,… read more…
Retirement Planning
I’m 59 With $1.3 Million and Ready to Quit. One Expense Nobody Budgets For Almost Stopped Me
If you’re ready to retire early, one overlooked expense could determine whether you can actually afford to leave work. Here is an example of a 59-year-old with $1.3 million in savings who thought retirement was within reach until this expense changed the math. The 6-Year Gap Between Your Last Paycheck and Medicare The expense that… read more…
Advisor Fees & Costs
My Advisor Charges ‘Just 1%.’ On My $900k Portfolio, That’s $250,000 Over 20 Years.
If your advisor charges “just 1%,” that may not sound like much, especially when you don’t get frequent notifications. But that’s exactly the problem: When advisory fees are deducted directly from your investment account, the true cost can be easy to miss. And over time, that small percentage could add up to a large number… read more…
Roth & Traditional IRAs
Earn Over $150k? The IRS Just Changed Where Your 401(k) Catch-Up Money Has to Go
For high earners over age 50, a retirement-saving strategy that was available for years may now be off the table. Depending on your income, you may have to make catch-up contributions to a Roth account instead of a traditional 401(k). And this change could affect your tax bill today and your retirement savings later. The… read more…
How to Invest
What Is a Prediction Market: Uses and Examples for Investors
A prediction market is a platform where participants buy and sell contracts tied to the outcome of future events. Prices on these contracts reflect the market’s collective estimate of how likely an event is to occur. In a winner-take-all contract, a share pays out $1 if the event happens and $0 if it does not.… read more…
How to Invest
Gold Hedge Against Inflation: Pros, Cons and Alternatives
When inflation rises, the value of your money falls. Inflation concerns prompt many investors to look for assets that can help preserve purchasing power. They often choose gold as one of their first investments thanks to its long-standing reputation. Gold has been a store of value during periods of economic uncertainty for hundreds of years.… read more…
Real Estate
Publicly Traded REITs: How They Work, Taxes and Examples
A publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) is a company that owns income-producing real estate, trades on a major stock exchange and is required by law to distribute at least 90% of its taxable income to shareholders as dividends. Unlike private REITs or non-traded REITs, publicly traded REITs offer daily liquidity, price transparency and… read more…
Tax Planning
Tax Professional for LLC: Services and Examples
Running an LLC offers flexibility and liability protection. But alongside those benefits comes a layer of complexity that can catch even seasoned business owners off guard. From choosing a tax classification to tracking deductions to navigating filing deadlines, there is a lot to keep track of. And the wrong move can cost you thousands of… read more…
Tax Planning
Foreign LLC: Uses, Requirements and Examples
Expanding a business into another state can create new opportunities, but it may also come with legal and administrative requirements that many business owners overlook. One of the most important is foreign LLC registration, which allows a company formed in one state to legally operate in another. Despite the name, a foreign LLC has nothing… read more…
Retirement Planning
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Matching: Rules, Tiers and Examples
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is the federal government’s defined contribution retirement plan. It is available to federal civilian employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). It also includes the Blended Retirement System (BRS), which covers members of the uniformed services. For its participants, the government’s matching contributions represent a significant addition to retirement… read more…
Retirement Planning
I’m 64 With $720k in My 401(k) and $1,900 a Month From Social Security. What Can I Actually Spend?
What can I actually spend each month without running out of money? This is one of the most important questions that retirees ask. And one of the hardest to answer. Many people rely on rough estimates, but guessing wrong early in retirement can cost you big for decades. What $720k and $1,900 Per Month Really… read more…
How to Invest
SpaceX IPO: Valuation, Timeline and Investment Options
For more than two decades, SpaceX built rockets, launched satellites and rewired the economics of space travel entirely outside public markets. That changed on June 12, 2026, when the company completed the largest IPO in history, opening ownership to everyday investors for the first time. Here’s a closer look at SpaceX’s valuation, business model, risks… read more…
Roth & Traditional IRAs
A Couple Can Convert $133,000 a Year to a Roth at About 9%. Here’s How
Many retirees overlook one of the best tax-planning windows in their financial lives: the years between retirement and required minimum distributions (RMDs). During this period, you may be able to convert traditional IRA assets to a Roth at relatively low tax rates before RMDs increase your taxable income. Here’s why timing matters. A financial advisor… read more…
How to Invest
OpenAI Stock IPO: Expected Valuation, Timeline and Investment Options
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, confidentially filed an S-1 registration statement with the SEC on May 22, 2026. This formally begins its process of going public. CNBC reported that Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are leading the deal, with the company targeting a public debut “as soon as the fourth quarter” of 2026.1 OpenAI said… read more…
How to Invest
Anthropic IPO: Expected Valuation, Timeline and Investment Options
Anthropic, the AI company behind the Claude family of models, confidentially submitted a draft S-1 registration statement with the SEC on June 1, 2026, giving the company the option to pursue an initial public offering after SEC review.1 The filing came after Anthropic announced a $65 billion Series H funding round at a $965 billion… read more…
Real Estate
Diversifying Stock Into Real Estate: Opportunities and Risks
Stocks have long been the go-to investment vehicle for building long-term wealth, yet they’re just one part of a diversified portfolio. Real estate represents an entirely different asset class that responds to different market forces and offers unique benefits, such as consistent rental income, tangible value and inflation protection. Yet jumping into real estate investment… read more…
Inheritance
Date of Death Valuation: Calculation and Taxes for Heirs
When someone inherits investments, real estate or other valuable assets, they may be familiar with the asset’s date of death value. This valuation determines not only what an inherited asset is worth for estate purposes, but also how much tax an heir may eventually owe if they decide to sell it. Ask a financial advisor… read more…
Roth & Traditional IRAs
Opening an IRA? The Costly Mistake That Leaves Your Money Earning Nothing
Gen Z is the youngest generation of workers and they are now out-saving every older age group. They started earlier than Boomers, Gen X and even Millennials. Many are still early in their careers and underpaid, yet they have leaned into one advantage that older savers often overlook. If you are not using it too,… read more…
Social Security
The $45,000 Line: This New Plan Protects Lower Earners But Caps COLA for Everyone Above It
Every year, your Social Security check gets a small raise to keep pace with inflation. And right now, every retiree gets the same percentage, top to bottom. But a recent proposal could change that for some people. If your annual benefit sits above a certain line, your yearly increase could get cut. The question worth… read more…
Portfolio Management
Discount for Lack of Marketability: Uses and Calculation
Not all assets can be sold quickly or easily. A minority stake in a family business, restricted stock or an ownership interest in a private company may have significant value on paper but be difficult to convert into cash. That’s where a discount for lack of marketability (DLOM) comes into play. By accounting for the… read more…
Inheritance
Alternate Valuation Date: Estate Planning Uses and Examples
Imagine inheriting your parent’s estate, only to watch the stock market tumble in the weeks that follow. Then you learn the IRS still expects estate taxes from the higher values on the day they passed away. It’s a frustrating scenario, but the tax code offers a potential remedy in the alternate valuation date. This allows… read more…
Rollovers & Conversions
How to Do a Backdoor Roth Conversion: Caps, Steps and Examples
A backdoor Roth IRA allows high-income earners to move money into a Roth IRA. It is a simple two-step strategy that works because, while the IRS sets income limits on direct Roth IRA contributions, it sets no income limits on Roth IRA conversions. Anyone whose modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is too high can still… read more…