Strategies

Ways to use the accounts you already have more efficiently — conversions, account ordering, and where to hold which investments.

10 articles in this topic.

• Bunching Charitable Giving with a Donor-Advised Fund

  With the standard deduction permanently doubled, charitable giving produces no federal benefit unless it is bunched. How a donor-advised fund does it.

• 72(t) Substantially Equal Periodic Payments

  IRC §72(t) lets you tap an IRA before 59½ with no penalty using a fixed schedule. The methods, the modification trap, and Notice 2022-6 in plain English.

• Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) on Company Stock

  IRC §402(e)(4) turns growth on employer stock in a 401(k) into long-term capital gains. The four conditions, the lump-sum rule, and a worked example.

• Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) From Your IRA

  A QCD moves up to $111,000 in 2026 straight from your IRA to charity, satisfies your RMD, and never enters taxable income. For those 70½ and older.

• Tax-Loss Harvesting and the IRA Wash-Sale Trap

  Tax-loss harvesting offsets gains and up to $3,000 of ordinary income a year, but only in taxable accounts. Buy the replacement in an IRA and it is lost.

• Asset Location: Which Accounts Hold Which Investments

  Asset allocation is what you own. Asset location is which account holds it. Done right it adds 0.25% to 0.75% of after-tax return a year.

• The Roth Conversion Ladder: Early Retirement Without the Penalty

  Turn pre-tax retirement money into spendable cash before 59½ with no 10% penalty. The mechanics, a worked example, and the five-year clock.

• Backdoor Roth IRA: Step-by-Step for High Earners

  A four-step walkthrough of the backdoor Roth IRA, the pro-rata rule trap, and the tax mistake that wrecks most do-it-yourself attempts.

• HSA: The Only Triple Tax-Advantaged Account in the Tax Code

  The HSA is the only account where contributions, growth, and qualified withdrawals are all tax-free. How to use one as a stealth retirement account.

• Mega Backdoor Roth: How High Earners Save Up to $47,500 More Per Year

  The mega backdoor Roth lets high earners move up to $47,500 of after-tax money into a 401(k) and convert it to Roth for tax-free growth for life.