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Retirement plansIntel 401(k): Match and Mega Backdoor Roth
Intel matches the first 5% of eligible pay dollar for dollar, and the plan allows after-tax contributions with Roth conversion. A six-step guide for 2026.
Tax strategyArizona Capital Gains Tax: The 25% Deduction
Arizona's flat 2.5% tax works out to 1.875% on a qualifying long-term gain. What the 25% deduction covers, the exceptions, and how a big stock sale can shrink your federal SALT cap.
Tax strategy2026 Year-End Tax Checklist for RSU and ESPP Holders
Nine moves to make before December 31 if you're paid in RSUs or ESPP shares, from closing the 22% withholding gap to the new 2026 rules on catch-up contributions and charitable gifts.
Retirement plansMicrosoft 401(k): The Match and Mega Backdoor Roth
Microsoft matches 50% of your deferrals up to the IRS limit, and the plan allows after-tax contributions with same-day Roth conversion. A five-step guide for 2026.
Equity compHow the Microsoft ESPP Actually Works
The Microsoft ESPP buys stock every quarter at a 10% discount, with no lookback. A six-step guide to the contribution limits, the holding periods and the cost basis trap.
Equity compAmazon RSUs: A Sell-or-Hold Framework
Amazon RSUs can pile up fast. A six-step framework for deciding how much Amazon stock to keep, which shares to sell first, and what Amazon's trading rules allow.
Tax strategy3 Tax Schemes to Avoid in 2026
Inflated charitable donations, social media tax hacks and the short-term rental loophole. How each pitch works, where it breaks and what it can cost you.
Tax strategy7 Ways to Manage RSU Taxes
RSU compensation and RSU stock gains are taxed separately. Seven decisions - withholding, selling or holding, pre-tax contributions, charitable gifts, loss harvesting, direct indexing and exchange funds - and the limits on each.
Tax strategySafe Harbor Estimated Taxes: Avoiding Penalties on RSU Vests
Hit one of two safe harbor numbers and the underpayment penalty generally goes away, no matter how big the April bill is. In a vest year, the 110% prior-year target is usually the one to aim at.
Retirement plansAmazon 401(k) and the Mega Backdoor Roth - A 2026 Guide
A 50% match on your first 4% with a 3-year cliff - and a $72,000 ceiling once after-tax contributions and Roth conversion are switched on. The match, the vesting catch, the 2026 limits, and the Mega Backdoor Roth step by step.
Equity compAmazon RSUs: How Vesting and Taxes Work in 2026
The four-year 5/15/40/40 schedule, the shift to quarterly vesting, how vests hit your W-2, why the flat 22% withholding can fall short, and the reported 25% cash election - the full map for Amazon equity.
Tax strategyExchange Funds - How to Diversify Concentrated Stock Without Selling It
A partnership that pools concentrated positions from many investors: contribute shares, receive a diversified interest, and generally trigger no capital gain. How Section 721 makes it work, the 7-year holding period, who qualifies, and the trade-offs.
Retirement plansAxon 401(k): How to Maximize Your Plan in 2026
Axon matches 100% of the first 3% you defer and 50% of the next 2%, vested immediately. Five elections - the match, the 2026 limits, Roth vs pre-tax, the fund menu, and an annual review - decide what the plan is worth to you.
Tax strategyThe ISO AMT Trap: What to Model Before You Exercise Incentive Stock Options
Exercise incentive stock options and hold, and the spread generally becomes income for the alternative minimum tax even though you sold nothing. Here's the calculation to run while you still have a choice about size and timing.
Tax strategyArizona's dollar-for-dollar tax credits: redirect the state tax you already owe
A married Arizona couple can redirect as much as $5,802 of their 2026 state income tax to charities and schools they choose. Five commonly used credits do the work, and here's how each one runs, plus the April 15 quirk and why your federal return mostly shrugs.
Fees & industryHow financial advisors get paid
The 4 ways an advisor's bill gets calculated, what each tends to cost, and the incentive built into each one. Plus what fee-only and fee-based actually classify.
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