As the holiday season approaches, many of us find ourselves thinking about gifts. While gifts can come in many forms, monetary gifts often cause the most confusion. In this episode of Financial Symmetry, hosts Chad Smith and Grayson Blaszak discuss the intricacies of financial gifting.

Financial gifting generally involves transferring assets, such as cash or securities, from one individual to another without expecting anything in return. This process can have several benefits, including seeing your loved ones enjoy the fruits of your generosity during your lifetime.

• [03:38] Individuals can gift up to $18,000 per recipient annually (increasing to $19,000 in 2025) without it being taxable or reportable.
• [05:17] The tax implications of paying off a loved one’s credit card or bills.
• [06:16] Steps to take if you’re making a big gift, such as a home down payment and how to manage the gift tax return.
• [12:28] Transferring securities can help recipients save and invest more effectively, benefiting from fund growth and potentially minimizing tax burdens when in a lower tax bracket, enhancing wealth transfer and legacy planning.
• [13:43] Giving to 529 plans and how to fit that into your strategy.
• [16:02] Payments to medical providers or educational institutions on behalf of a loved one are not taxable gifts, provided they are paid directly.
• [17:57] Plan carefully to balance wealth stewardship and gifting, ensuring personal financial stability while providing meaningful support to loved ones.

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Have you ever been in the middle of a road trip, and you come upon a roadblock where unexpected traffic adds a half hour or more to your journey?

Similar frustrating circumstances pop up in the years just before and just after retirement. During this new life transition, you are forced to confront retirement roadblocks, and if you don’t know how to maneuver around them, it can leave you feeling stuck.

In this episode, we discuss 3 retirement roadblocks you may encounter along your retirement journey. Think of these tips as your GPS to make it easier to navigate around the retirement roadblocks you will inevitably face.

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📬 Download your Free Retire On Purpose Guide here.

📰 See the full show notes here

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Early retirement has unique financial planning challenges, particularly regarding health insurance and tax strategies. For people who retire before age 65, the challenge of finding affordable and adequate health insurance adds another layer of complexity to their financial plans.

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📬 Download your Free Retire On Purpose Guide here.

📰 See the full show notes here

🌐 Sign up here to receive Retirement Weekly to get one email every week on all things retirement

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• [04:32] Considering Roth conversion for potential tax benefits
• [09:07] Rules around qualifying for ACA in 2025
• [12:36] Early retirement may offer a low-tax window for Roth conversions, potentially reducing the lifetime tax burden
• [15:49] Consider long-term planning, not just immediate tax impacts, for decisions like Roth conversions
• [18:44] Roth conversions are typically completed at year's end to account for unexpected income changes affecting ACA MAGI estimates.