The Capable Wealth Blog
The RMD Checklist: What Surgeons Over 73 Need to Do Before December 31
Still earning significant practice income after age 73? Required minimum distributions can add taxable IRA income at an inconvenient time. This guide explains RMD deadlines, calculation checks, qualified charitable distributions, Roth-conversion considerations, and year-end coordination points for surgeons and other high-income professionals.
The $2,000 You Can No Longer Deduct: Why 2026 Changed the Math on Giving
New 2026 tax rules change how charitable deductions work for itemizers. Learn how the 0.5% AGI floor, 35% deduction limitation, donor-advised funds, appreciated stock gifts, and qualified charitable distributions may affect charitable-planning decisions.
The $15 Million Question: What the New Estate Exemption Means for Your Family
The 2026 increase to the $15 million federal estate and gift tax exemption removed a major deadline, but it didn’t eliminate estate planning risk—especially for surgeons in high‑tax states. New York’s estate tax “cliff,” low state exemptions in places like Massachusetts and Oregon, and legacy gifting strategies using irrevocable trusts can all create avoidable tax bills and missed basis step‑ups. In this article, we walk through why “under the federal line” doesn’t mean safe, what changed in the law, and the key conversations surgeons should have now with their estate planning attorney, tax professional, and financial advisor.