Chris Balcerowiak

02/26/2026

What’s Your Effective Tax Rate?

Most people can rattle off their top federal tax bracket (their marginal rate), but don’t always know their effective tax rate.

Here is the difference.

Marginal Tax Rate:
●The rate on the last dollar of taxable income
●Tied to the highest bracket reached

Effective Tax Rate:
●Total federal income tax divided by total taxable income
●Always lower than the top bracket in a progressive system

Using simplified 2025 federal numbers for married filing jointly (Federal income taxes only, simplified illustrative figures only).

At $100,000 Taxable Income:
●Top federal bracket: 22 percent
●Effective federal rate: about 12 percent

At $250,000 Taxable Income:
●Top federal bracket: 24 percent
●Effective federal rate: about 18 percent

At $400,000 Taxable Income:
●Top federal bracket: 32 percent
●Effective federal rate: about 21 percent

Each layer of income is taxed at a different rate, so only the top slice hits the highest bracket.

Knowing both the marginal and effective rates can help keep tax conversations in perspective and make decisions more grounded. Your tax professional can provide additional insights.

02/25/2026

What if your most expensive tax decision in 2026 happens long before you file your return?

Tax prep looks backward; tax strategy looks ahead, and that gap is where real after-tax outcomes get decided.

A few high-impact levers to keep on the radar:

➡️ When Income Lands: Timing bonuses, self-employment income, and retirement distributions can help manage brackets.

➡️ How You Might Save: Consider taking advantage of the higher 401(k) limits in 2026, and catch-up provisions—but be sure to look into whether you need to use a Roth for those catch-up contributions.

➡️ Where Giving Shows Up: New rules change how charitable gifts and Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limits work together.

➡️ What You Do in Down Markets: Tax loss harvesting can turn volatility into a tool, not just noise.

➡️ With most retirement accounts, once you reach age 73, you must begin taking required minimum distributions. Roth accounts are the exception. Withdrawal penalties may apply if you take the money before age 59½. Roth IRA distributions must meet a 5-year holding requirement and occur after the account holder reaches age 59½.

Preparing year-round can help shape future cash flow, flexibility, and choices.

02/23/2026

How confident are you that you are truly on track for retirement?

Vanguard’s latest outlook says only 42 percent of Americans are pacing toward their retirement income goals.

That means most might need to save more, work longer, adjust spending, or some mix of all three.

Workplace strategies can make a big difference:
● 54 percent are on track, vs. 28 percent without access
● Those with access are projected to have a $1,000 surplus in retirement
● Those without access face an $8,000 shortfall

If you're unsure which side of the 42 percent you are on, let us help you develop a strategy that can help you get on track.

02/20/2026

When was the last time you checked the beneficiaries on your retirement accounts? 📄

A November 2025 Wall Street Journal article, titled “Leaving the Wrong Beneficiary on Your IRA Plan Can Be a Costly Mistake,” shared some examples that highlight how important it is to keep them updated:

● A young professional named his sister as beneficiary when his retirement account was tiny. Years later, he died without changing the form. By then, it was his largest asset. His sister inherited the account, not his wife and children.

● An employee with a $300,000 company-sponsored plan died without updating his beneficiary after his wife passed away and never named a contingent heir. His two stepsons expected to inherit. The money went to other relatives instead.

● Even the columnist writing the piece thought everything was in order, then checked and discovered no beneficiary listed.

A few simple steps can help manage trouble for heirs:

● Confirm every retirement account has a beneficiary and contingent beneficiary

● Think twice before naming your estate as the beneficiary

● Update forms after marriage, divorce, deaths, births, or when moving accounts to a new provider

Once something happens, these forms can be challenging to fix.

A quick review now might help with delays and conflict later on ✅

02/18/2026

First-time homebuyers in America are now an avg. of 40 years old.

Let that sink in. 🏠

The generational gap is stark.

At Age 30:
➡️ 48 percent of baby boomers owned homes
➡️ 42 percent of Gen X owned homes
➡️ 33 percent of millennials owned homes

It's not about ambition or work ethic. It's about timing and economics.

Today's young buyers are entering the market when mortgage rates are higher, without any existing equity to leverage.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon summed it up: "In the old days, you could be in 10th grade, go get a factory job in Detroit, and eventually you could afford a family, a home, a car, and that may not be true anymore."

For those of us guiding clients, this matters.

Many of our kids face a completely different wealth-building landscape than we did.

Curious, how old were you when you bought your first home? 💬

02/16/2026

Some of the most lasting presidential legacies show up in everyday financial life.

🤔 Quiz time: can you name the presidents who are credited with each of these milestones in America’s retirement policies?

Q: Which president created the foundation of America’s retirement safety net by signing the Social Security Act?
A: President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935

Q: Which president strengthened protections for workers’ pensions by signing the Employee Retirement Income Security Act?
A: President Gerald Ford in 1974

Q: Which president signed the Revenue Act that included the provision that became the 401(k)?
A: President Jimmy Carter in 1978

The day marks the weight of that role, the continuity of the office over time, and the commitment to serve the country at the highest level.

02/14/2026

Valentine’s Day has a way of putting the focus back where it belongs: on the people all this planning is really for. ❤️

Behind every goal, account, and strategy are relationships, commitments, and hopes for the people who matter most.

Here is to the spouses, partners, families, and friends who give real meaning to the work of planning for the future. ❤️

02/12/2026

Recent data shows that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults say stress about money is harming their mental health, more than politics or world events, according to a study in the May report by PressReader.

That stress can quietly shape how you save, spend, and invest.

💡 Where Behavior and Money Collide
Common emotional triggers we see:
● Panic during market downturns
● Fear of missing out during rallies
● Clinging to outdated assumptions
● Avoiding all risk after a bad experience

These reactions are human; they are also why even a strong financial strategy can go off track if it ignores the emotional side of decision-making.

🤝 How We Help
Our role is part strategist, part coach:
● Clarifying realistic long-term goals
● Keeping focus on direction, not headlines
● Using structure to help manage risk
● Creating “emotional circuit breakers,” like waiting periods before big moves

Your financial strategy should support your life, not the other way around. If you are feeling anxious or your goals have shifted, this can be a good moment to talk. 💬

02/10/2026

Thinking about a Roth IRA conversion this year, but not sure if it makes sense?

Here are a few key points to keep in mind ✅

What a Roth conversion is:
🔹 Moving money from a pre-tax account, such as a traditional IRA, into a Roth IRA
🔹 The amount converted is typically taxable as ordinary income in the year of conversion

Why investors consider it:
🔹 May allow for tax-free growth and tax-free qualified withdrawals in retirement if certain requirements are met
🔹 Currently, there are no required minimum distributions for the original Roth owner under existing law
🔹 May provide more flexibility for heirs than a traditional IRA, depending on individual circumstances

How to potentially approach it:
🔹 Consider smaller, multi-year conversions instead of one large move
🔹 Monitor how added income may affect Adjusted Gross Income, tax brackets, and future Medicare premiums
🔹 Once converted, it generally cannot be reversed under current rules

Key considerations:
🔹 With a Roth IRA, to qualify for the tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings, Roth IRA distributions must meet a five-year holding requirement and occur after age 59½. Tax-free and penalty-free withdrawals can also be taken under certain other circumstances.
🔹 With a traditional IRA, once you turn 73, you must take the required minimum distribution. Withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income and may be subject to a 10 percent federal income tax penalty if taken before age 59½.

Roth conversions may be a useful strategy when they align with an overall, personalized tax and retirement strategy. As always, consult a tax and financial professional before making any decisions.

02/09/2026

Did you update your retirement contributions for 2026?

It’s February, but you may still have your 401(k) and IRA deferrals set to last year’s numbers, even though the limits went up for 2026.

Here are the key updates to know for 2026.

Workplace Plans - 401(k), 403(b), 457s:
● Employee limit: $24,500
● Age 50+ catch-up: extra $8,000, total $32,500
● Ages 60–63 “super” catch-up: up to $35,750

IRAs (Traditional + Roth Combined):
● Base limit: $7,500
● Age 50+ catch-up: $1,100, total $8,600

🔍 High Earners - A Big Change.
If your 2025 wages were above $150,000, your 401(k) catch-up contributions in 2026 must be made in a Roth account, not a pre-tax one.

If your plan does not offer a Roth option, catch-ups may not be available.

With most retirement accounts, once you reach age 73, you must begin taking required minimum distributions. Roth accounts are the exception. Withdrawal penalties may apply if you take the money before age 59½. Roth IRA distributions must meet a 5-year holding requirement and occur after the account holder reaches age 59½.

So, if you haven’t already:
● Confirm your current deferral rate reflects the new limits, not last year’s
● Check whether your plan offers Roth and how catch-ups are handled

02/06/2026

Stocks climbed in January as solid economic data offset geopolitical tensions. The S&P 500 rose 1.37%, the Dow gained 1.73%, and Canada's TSX picked up 0.66%, setting multiple record highs early in the month. The Fed held rates steady as expected, with all eyes now on the March meeting. From \$27.5 billion spent in the U.S. to \$97.80 per person in Canada, Valentine's Day spending spans the globe. Check out this month's by-the-numbers.

Stocks climbed in January as the tailwinds of solid economic data offset the headwinds of geopolitical tensions that rattled investors during the month.

02/05/2026

❤️ The American Heart Association tells us that heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., but it's also one of the most preventable.

Small changes can make a real difference: moving more, eating better, managing stress, and getting regular check-ups. It all helps.

A few things worth doing this month:
● Wear red to raise awareness
● Learn CPR or brush up on it—you could save a life
● Schedule that check-up you've been putting off

It's what matters most.