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Are You Leaving Money on the Table?

It’s important to take steps to minimize your tax liabilities. Many taxpayers miss out on valuable tax breaks. Here are some that are often overlooked but that can potentially save you money. 

1. Medical expenses 

If you itemize deductions, you may be eligible to deduct medical expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI). For example, if your income is $100,000, you may be able to deduct expenses that exceed $7,500. Examples of eligible expenses include:

• Insurance deductibles, co-payments, and other out-of-pocket medical expenses
• Medicare premiums
• Travel expenses for medical procedures, i.e. housing and transportation 
• Crutches, walkers, and scooters
• Long-term care insurance premiums
• Contact lenses and related supplies
• Breathing machines or other durable medical equipment

2. Charity-related expenses

Most people are aware that charitable donations are tax-deductible, but fewer realize that certain out-of-pocket expenses related to charity work can also qualify. Examples include:

• Up to 14 cents per mile if you use your car for charity-related purposes
• Postage cost for charity-related mail
• The ingredients used to prepare a meal for a charity event

3. Home office deduction 

If you are self-employed and use a space in your home exclusively for business purposes, you may be eligible for a home office deduction. There are two approved methods for calculating your deduction:

Actual expense — Allows you to calculate the percentage of your home that comprises your home office and add in other costs based on that percentage. For example, if your office takes up 5 percent of your home, you can deduct 5 percent of your mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and utilities. (This method requires keeping meticulous records of your expenses.)
Simplified — Allows you to claim $5 per square foot, up to 300 square feet (a maximum of $1,500). 

It’s important to note that individuals working remotely for companies as W-2 employees aren’t eligible for the home office deduction. 

4. Mortgage discount points deduction

If you paid for points to lower your mortgage interest rate, you may be eligible for a tax deduction. The cost of mortgage points can be deducted during the year in which you paid for them as long as the mortgage was used to purchase or build your primary residence. 

Points related to a mortgage refinance may also be deductible but typically need to be spread out over the life of the loan. 

5. Residential clean energy credit

This allows you to deduct up to 30 percent of the cost of new energy-saving systems that use solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, or fuel cell power to heat water, generate electricity, or heat your home. You can also claim a tax credit of up to $500 for installing energy-efficient doors, insulation, heating and air conditioning systems, and water heaters, and a tax credit of up to $200 for new energy-efficient windows. 

Keep in mind these are lifetime credit limits, which means any credits taken in previous years count toward the maximum allowable credit.

6. Student loan interest deduction

For student loan debt, you may be eligible to deduct up to $2,500 of the interest you paid on qualified loans. This deduction is gradually phased out for single filers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) greater than $85,000 and joint filers with a MAGI greater than $170,000.

7. Lifetime learning credit

The lifetime learning credit is available for those pursuing education at any stage — whether undergraduate or graduate studies, continuing education courses, or certificate programs at eligible educational institutions. The credit is worth up to 20 percent of $10,000 in qualified expenses, with a maximum of $2,000 per year. Qualified expenses include tuition and fees, course materials, books, software, and computers necessary for classes. 

The credit is available to those with a MAGI of less than $90,000 for single filers or less than $180,000 for married couples filing jointly. There’s a gradual phaseout of the credit for those with a MAGI of $80,000 (individuals) or $160,000 (married filing jointly).  

Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.

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Couples’ Planning

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the sooner you start planning for the future, the better prepared you’re likely to be. The same goes for retirement planning as a couple. The sooner you’re on the same page when it comes to your vision, the better the chance you’ll achieve it. The following tips can help you as you plan for retirement with your partner. 

1. Decide where you hope to live.

Where you choose to live in retirement can have a big impact on your lifestyle. If you plan to move, it’s important to factor in any changes to your cost of living as you plan and save for retirement. Visit and research various locations to better understand what daily life will look like in a new city or town. Also, decide what type of home you would like to live in (e.g., apartment, condo, single-family home), as this will also impact your expenses. 

2. Discuss the timing.

Not all couples retire at the same time. Although some look forward to leaving the workforce and entering retirement together, others decide to stagger their retirements. When considering the timing, it’s important to take into account your ages, your job satisfaction, the amount of savings you’ll have, your eligibility for pension benefits, your optimal Social Security timing, and more. Your wealth manager can run various projections to help you determine your ideal retirement timing so you can plan accordingly.  

3. Discuss how you’d like to spend. 

What will your spending priorities be in retirement? Do you hope to travel the world? Provide financial support to your children or grandchildren? Purchase a second home? Give to charitable causes?

Having an idea of your spending priorities can help you establish goals and remain focused on your values. It’s also important to know if you and your partner have different spending priorities, as you may need to implement additional savings and investing strategies to plan for these differences. 

4. Discuss your retirement goals. 

What’s your current lifestyle like, and what’s your vision for retirement? How are these similar to or different from your partner’s? 

Make individual retirement goal wish lists and compare them. Look for common goals and identify where you have different visions. Discuss how you can each compromise on your vision or make adjustments in your current lifestyle to help ensure you both achieve happiness and fulfillment in retirement.

5. Discuss how you plan to pay for medical expenses and long-term care.

Healthcare and long-term care expenses are some of the biggest costs faced by many retirees. In fact, a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2024 could expect to spend approximately $330,000 on medical expenses in retirement.

Not only that, but an estimated seven in 10 people will require long-term care in their lifetime, which can be pricey. In 2023, the median cost of a private room in a nursing home was $9,733 per month, while the average cost of a home health aide was $6,292 per month.

These numbers highlight the importance of having a plan in place to pay for healthcare and long-term care expenses in retirement. It may make sense to set aside funds in a health savings account (HSA) or purchase long-term care insurance (LTCI). Your wealth manager can advise you on a course of action that makes sense for you, given your personal financial situation and future goals. 

Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning, one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.

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How to Leave Your Legacy

To leave a legacy means more than the dollars you leave in the pockets of your children. A legacy is an opportunity to love someone from the grave. It’s forever tying a memory to a smell, taste, or sound. It’s asking yourself how you want to be remembered and what your core values are — then putting those answers into action. Here are four ways to leave a legacy for those you love.

Give back to your community. 

If generosity and acts of service are among your core values, consider participating in at least one volunteer activity per year with friends or family. You can take part in a fundraiser or donate your time or talent to a local nonprofit you’re passionate about. If you have an affinity for a particular cause, creating a charitable foundation can be a meaningful way to provide your loved ones with employment or board membership opportunities directly related to the cause you support. While a private foundation is certain to leave a powerful financial legacy, it also promotes collaboration, creativity, and continuity of your philanthropic vision. A foundation can be structured to operate indefinitely so that the lessons you leave to your heirs can be taught for generations to come. 

Keep a record.

Record a video message or keep a journal. When a loved one passes away, it’s common to hear sentiments such as, “I wish I could see their face or hear their voice again.” Recording a video message is an opportunity to express your love, share your life experiences and values, and offer guidance to your loved ones. 

If a video feels too formal or induces stage fright, consider keeping a journal. Put it someplace you’ll see it often so that you can jot down daily observations, funny memories, random thoughts, and pieces of wisdom you want to pass along. There’s no need to copy edit or write multiple pages at once. Keeping a journal can be a low-pressure way of putting your personality to paper — a gift your loved ones will cherish when you’re gone. 

Create a will and/or a trust.

The act of creating a will and/or trust gives the absence of chaos to your heirs following your death. These documents outline who will inherit your assets as well as how and by whom they’ll be distributed. Putting your wishes in writing helps to prevent disputes and legal battles among your heirs. Additionally, a trust may be able to protect your assets from creditors, reduce estate taxes, and provide financial support to your beneficiaries. A trust can also prevent your heirs from having to participate in probate, a lengthy and often expensive formal court administration processes that “proves” the legitimacy of your will after death. While far from glamorous, creating a will and/or trust is a generous and loving act of housekeeping that may spare your children from unnecessary additional suffering after your passing.

Start a family tradition. 

Whether it be the dependable smell of homemade birthday cake, the sound of Frank Sinatra coming from the kitchen on Saturday mornings, or counting constellations from a tent under the open sky every summer, a tradition reinforces your family’s values and creates a sense of belonging. Establishing positive family traditions has proven to increase a child’s ability to form a strong sense of identity — an identity you have the opportunity to forever influence. 

Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.