Posts by SmartAsset Team
Advisor Basics
The Advisor Who Grew My Savings May Be the Wrong One to Help Me Spend It.
You have trusted our advisor with everything, your 401(k), your brokerage account, your retirement dreams. And they grew your nest egg. So naturally, when you retired, you assumed they’d be just as brilliant at turning that money into reliable income. But you could be wrong. Building wealth and spending it safely are two completely different… read more…
How to Invest
How to Invest in OpenAI: Steps for Direct and Indirect Options
Since OpenAI filed a confidential S-1 with the SEC in early June 2026, banks have been targeting a Nasdaq listing as early as the fourth quarter of 2026, though the company has cautioned that timing is not guaranteed.1 Until any listing is complete, buying OpenAI stock directly is not available to most investors. That does not… read more…
How to Invest
SpaceX IPO and Your 401(k): Risk, Allocation and Rebalancing
SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026. The IPO valued the company at roughly $1.75 trillion, making it the largest in history.1 Even if you didn’t buy a single share, you may now own SpaceX through your 401(k). Many total market, large-cap and Nasdaq index funds quickly added the stock, increasing its weight in millions of… read more…
How to Invest
SpaceX Employee Stock: Vesting, Taxes and Selling Strategies
When SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026, it completed the largest IPO in history at $135 per share.1 But while the IPO created substantial wealth for many employees, it also marked the beginning of a series of financial decisions that could significantly affect how much of that equity they ultimately keep. Here’s what you need… read more…
Trusts
We Set Up a Revocable Trust Thinking We Were Covered. Here’s What It Doesn’t Do.
When you set up a revocable trust, it may feel like you’ve checked an important box. Your assets could avoid probate, your privacy could be protected and your family could inherit without going through court. But what you may not realize is that a revocable trust only covers part of your estate plan. Here’s what… read more…
Annuities
An Annuity Promises Income for Life. Here’s the Part the Sales Pitch Skips.
The sales pitch is almost irresistible: Hand over a lump sum and you will get a monthly check for life. After decades of saving, that guarantee can sound like a simple solution for retirement. What the pitch often leaves out is how much you have to give up in exchange. What an Annuity Actually Gives… read more…
Roth & Traditional IRAs
MAGI for a Roth IRA: Income Limits and Calculation Examples
A Roth IRA can be one of the most powerful retirement savings tools available, offering the potential for decades of tax-free growth and tax-free qualified withdrawals. But not everyone is eligible to contribute directly. The key decider is your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). This tax calculation determines whether you can make a full Roth… read more…
Roth & Traditional IRAs
Roth IRA Catch-Up: Contribution Rules and Examples
If retirement is on the horizon, every extra dollar you save can make a difference. That’s the idea behind Roth IRA catch-up contributions, which allow investors age 50 and older to contribute more than the standard annual limit. These additional contributions can help boost tax-free retirement savings. But eligibility rules, income limits and recent changes… read more…
How to Invest
Thematic Investing ESG: Trends, Benefits and Risks
You want your portfolio to grow, but you also want it to reflect what you believe in. Thematic ESG investing promises both: exposure to the trends you believe in that are reshaping the global economy, such as clean energy initiatives, while screening out companies with poor labor practices, weak governance or environmental red flags. It… read more…
How to Invest
I Have $100,000 Left to Invest in Retirement. Here’s Where I’m Putting It (and What I’m Avoiding).
At this stage of life, you don’t want to gamble the $100,000 you spent decades building. But you also know it’s quietly losing ground to inflation just sitting there. So you do nothing, only to realize that this decision also carries its own set of risks. Here’s where you could put that money to work… read more…
Marketing
Financial Services Marketing: Strategies, Examples and Guides
Financial services marketing encompasses the strategies banks, investment advisors, insurance agencies and other financial firms use to attract prospective clients, strengthen relationships and grow their businesses. Successful marketing often combines digital channels like search engine optimization (SEO), email campaigns and social media with referrals, educational content and community engagement. The right mix depends on a… read more…
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…