Insights matter.

We spent a lot of time last year discussing estate and income tax planning in anticipation of possible tax law changes hinging on the outcome of the United States Presidential and Senate elections. While we now have clarity on the election outcomes, we are still in a position of needing to make significant estate and income tax decisions without complete clarity around potential changes in tax law. It feels like the new normal …     What we do know is the proposed tax bills provide an indication that higher estate and income tax rates are

Prenuptial agreements can cause tension and anxiety for successful families with children who are moving toward marriage. Prenups are complicated for a variety of reasons, from emotional to technical, and it can feel awkward (at best) to talk about divorce while planning a wedding.  At Matter, we have helped many families navigate the prenup landscape. Although every family is different, and people approach the process with a wide variety of expectations and goals in mind, one thing is very consistent:

Planning anything in 2020 has been quite challenging – so it should be no surprise that we may have to spend a lot of time planning soon for something that may not be clear until after the election and possibly well into 2021 or beyond: potential Federal estate and gift tax changes.  Anticipating a year-end Federal estate planning tax crunch is not new – it seems to happen every few years. Here’s just a short summary of the past decade:   2009: We were awaiting clarity on the potential estate

We are on the cusp of an unprecedented shift in the US financial landscape.   By the numbers: From 2010 to 2015, private wealth held by women grew from $34 trillion to $51 trillion. By 2021, women are expected to hold $72 trillion.   Source:  <Economist Intelligence Unit (2018) study>  Some of this change is due to the fact that women are earning more than we ever have. We’re running companies, launching startups, and helping to drive innovation and evolution across the global marketplace.

OVERVIEW As you are likely aware, the federal income tax filing due date has been automatically extended from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. The automatic extension also applies to your 2020 first quarter estimated tax payments. A few things to know about this extension:   The deferral of the 2019 payment due and first quarter estimated tax payment is without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed.   This deferment applies to all taxpayers: individuals, trusts and estates, corporations and other non-corporate tax filers as well as those who pay self-employment tax.  The automatic extension announced at

Over the last few weeks, we have all been processing a remarkable amount of change and information in our daily lives. One of these new sources of information has been our government’s assistance measures: there have been several meaningful pieces of legislation passed to support the country through the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, March 27th the third such piece of legislation, the CARES Act, was signed into law. The overall purpose of the CARES Act is to provide relief to individuals, corporations, small businesses, public

When people think of taxes, they often cringe at the crunch leading up to April 15th. But for families with complex financial worlds, tax planning isn’t limited to the first quarter. It’s a year-round affair that requires families, wealth advisors, and CPAs to live in two worlds—prior year and current—and as summer draws to a close, the heat turns up on taxes. At Matter, we think of tax planning as an integral part of managing wealth opportunities and complexities. We

In a 2018 article, the Wall Street Journal highlighted an apparently common practice in American families: parents doing their kids’ taxes. Why is this notable? Well, in many cases, the children are adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and even 50s. So, why are parents doing their adult children’s taxes? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? In our work with families, we have seen many situations like this. In our experience it’s not necessarily good OR bad.

Sometimes the hardest advice to give is to those closest to us. While we don’t pretend to have the secret recipe for success, we have found that objectivity, independence and clarity are essential. Here’s a bit more detail as to how we think about helping aging parents. 1. Use an independent, neutral advisor to facilitate the planning. This person can gather information, identify gaps, detect patterns, and provide thoughtful solutions. It is important that the advisor meets with parents and

It’s only March, but summer is just around the corner. Should teens be considering a summer job? According to Richard Weissbourd, a lecturer and research at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education quoted in this Quartz article, the answer is a resounding “yes!” Weissbourd doesn’t necessarily recommend a high-profile internship, either. He believes teens benefit much more from jobs in the service industry, where they get to see life through “a radically different lens.” “The lessons are huge,” said Richard Weissbourd, a lecturer