Year-End

To say the least, there’s been plenty of political, financial, and economic activity this year — from rising interest rates to elevated inflation, to ongoing market turmoil.

It's been a rough Fall for the stock market - so much so that you should probably carefully review your portfolio and other capital transactions to minimize gains or maximize losses for the year. Remember, capital gains and losses are not just limited to stock transactions. For example, stock losses can offset the gain from the sale of a rental.

Believe it or not, another year has rounded third base and is dashing toward home plate. That said, there’s still time to make a few good plays in 2021 while positioning yourself to score more in the year ahead. Here are six financial best practices for the record books. 

Your goal should be to get the IRS to owe you money. Of course, the IRS is not likely to cut you a check for this money (although in the right circumstances, that will happen), but you’ll realize the cash when you pay less in taxes.

It seems hard to believe, but the holiday season is almost upon us, and that means that the 2020 tax preparation season will soon follow. With the end of the tax year just weeks away, it may be appropriate (especially this year, in light of the financial havoc created by COVID-19) to review some year-end tax issues that might reduce your tax bite for 2020 or provide long-term tax benefits.

If you can’t wait for 2020 to be over, you’re certainly not alone. However, don’t let the challenges of this year distract you from taking care of important end-of-year financial moves.