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Inherited an IRA? The Annual RMD Rule and Your December 31 Deadline
If you inherited an IRA from a parent or relative who died in 2020 or later, you may owe a withdrawal every year, not just a full payout by year ten. Here is who the annual rule applies to, how the deadline works, and what to do if you missed one.
Read full article: Inherited an IRA? The Annual RMD Rule and Your December 31 Deadline
Year-End Charitable Giving in 2026: How the New Tax Rules Change the Math
The 2025 tax law reshaped charitable deductions starting this year. Non-itemizers gain a small deduction, itemizers face a new floor, and the highest earners see a cap. Here is how to think about your year-end giving under the new rules.
Read full article: Year-End Charitable Giving in 2026: How the New Tax Rules Change the Math
Year-End Checklist for Energy Executives: Deferred Comp, RSUs, and the New Roth Catch-Up Rule
For executives in the Energy Corridor, December is when next year's deferral elections lock, RSU tax gaps show up, and retirement plan contributions get settled. Here are the decisions worth reviewing before year-end.
Read full article: Year-End Checklist for Energy Executives: Deferred Comp, RSUs, and the New Roth Catch-Up RuleSelling a Business in Texas: Entity Structure and Exit Planning Basics
The biggest tax decisions in a business sale are often made years before the sale itself. Here's how entity structure, QSBS, and deal structure fit together.
Read full article: Selling a Business in Texas: Entity Structure and Exit Planning BasicsBackdoor Roth vs. Mega Backdoor Roth: Which Applies to You?
High earners can't contribute to a Roth IRA directly — but two other paths exist, and they work very differently. Here's how the backdoor Roth and mega backdoor Roth compare.
Read full article: Backdoor Roth vs. Mega Backdoor Roth: Which Applies to You?RMDs After 73: What Changes and What's Different for Roth Accounts
RMDs now start at 73, move to 75 in 2033, and Roth 401(k) accounts are no longer subject to them at all. Here's what changed and how to plan around it.
Read full article: RMDs After 73: What Changes and What's Different for Roth AccountsRetiring in Katy, Cinco Ranch, or Fulshear: What Texas's No-Income-Tax Advantage Means for Retirees
Texas has no state income tax — a real advantage for retirees drawing pension, 401(k), and Social Security income. Here's what it covers, what it doesn't, and when it matters most.
Read full article: Retiring in Katy, Cinco Ranch, or Fulshear: What Texas's No-Income-Tax Advantage Means for RetireesRestricted Stock & Deferred Compensation Vesting: What to Consider Before You Sell
Equity compensation is common in the Energy Corridor — and a common source of tax surprises. Here's how RSU vesting is actually taxed, and how deferred compensation risk differs from a 401(k).
Read full article: Restricted Stock & Deferred Compensation Vesting: What to Consider Before You SellShell Provident Fund & Pension Plan: What Houston-Area Retirees Need to Know
Shell employees retiring face three systems — the Provident Fund, a pension benefit, and often Shell stock. Here's how lump-sum timing, rollovers, and NUA fit together.
Read full article: Shell Provident Fund & Pension Plan: What Houston-Area Retirees Need to KnowChevron ESIP: Lump Sum vs. Rollover Options at Retirement
Chevron employees retiring face two systems — the Chevron Retirement Plan pension and the ESIP 401(k). Here's how the lump-sum-vs-annuity and company-stock decisions fit together.
Read full article: Chevron ESIP: Lump Sum vs. Rollover Options at RetirementNet Unrealized Appreciation (NUA): The Overlooked Tax Strategy for Company Stock in Your 401(k)
If your 401(k) holds employer stock that's grown in value, rolling everything into an IRA may not be the best move. Here's how Net Unrealized Appreciation works — and why timing matters.
Read full article: Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA): The Overlooked Tax Strategy for Company Stock in Your 401(k)
Katy ISD Retirement Benefits: Understanding Your TRS Pension
Katy ISD employees retire under TRS, not Social Security in the usual way — and a 2025 law just changed how those two systems interact. Here's what the Rule of 80 and the WEP/GPO repeal mean for your retirement.
Read full article: Katy ISD Retirement Benefits: Understanding Your TRS PensionConocoPhillips Pension and Savings Plan: Understanding Your Retirement Elections
ConocoPhillips employees face two systems at retirement — a pension plan closed to newer hires and a 401(k) Savings Plan that's now the primary benefit. Here's how the lump-sum-vs-annuity and company-stock decisions fit together.
Read full article: ConocoPhillips Pension and Savings Plan: Understanding Your Retirement ElectionsSocial Security Timing
The conventional wisdom says to wait as long as possible to claim Social Security. For some households, that is exactly right. For others, it could leave money on the table or create unnecessary risk. Here is how to think through the decision.
Read full article: Social Security TimingWhat Is IRMAA
Most retirees are surprised to learn that Medicare premiums are income-tested — and that a single year of high income can raise what you pay for two years. Understanding IRMAA before it hits is far better than managing it after.
Read full article: What Is IRMAAThe Roth Conversion Window
For many high-income retirees, the years between leaving work and age 73 represent a narrow but significant tax window. Understanding it — and acting on it deliberately — can make a meaningful difference in lifetime tax and estate outcomes.
Read full article: The Roth Conversion WindowExxonMobil Pension Election: Lump Sum vs. Annuity
The pension election is one of the most consequential financial decisions an ExxonMobil retiree will make — and many other financial decisions, it cannot be undone. Here is what to think through before you sign.
Read full article: ExxonMobil Pension Election: Lump Sum vs. AnnuityFive Questions to Ask Before You Retire
The retirement decision is bigger than a number in an account. These five questions surface the ones that actually matter.
Read full article: Five Questions to Ask Before You Retire