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Personal Finance

Personal money management and financial wellness strategies

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May 14, 202611 min read

Section 30D Clean Vehicle Credit Sunset: What 2026 EV Buyers Lost and Who Can Still Claim the $7,500

The Section 30D EV tax credit ended September 30, 2025, seven years early under OBBBA. Buyers with a written binding contract and nominal payment before that date can still claim up to $7,500 on a 2026 delivery. This guide covers the acquisition rule, Form 8936 filing, point-of-sale transfer recapture risk, and what survives for used (25E), commercial (45W), and charging-infrastructure (30C) credits.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-creditstax-planning

May 14, 202611 min read

Section 457(b) and 457(f) Deferred Compensation Plans: How Nonprofit, Government, and School Employees Stack Pre-Tax Savings on Top of a 403(b) or 401(k)

A detailed 2026 guide to Section 457(b) and 457(f) deferred compensation plans — how public-sector and nonprofit employees can stack a 457(b) on top of a 403(b) or 401(k) for up to $65,000 in deferrals, when the special three-year catch-up reaches $49,000, and how 457(f) vesting can trigger a tax bomb under Section 409A.

Mike Thrift

retirement-plansretirement-savingstax-planning

May 14, 202613 min read

Section 457(b) and 457(f) Deferred Compensation Plans: Stacking Pre-Tax Savings on a 403(b) or 401(k)

A 2026 guide to Section 457(b) and 457(f) plans — how public-sector and nonprofit employees can defer up to $49,000 pre-tax by stacking a 457(b) on a 403(b), and how nonprofit executives use 457(f) without triggering the substantial-risk-of-forfeiture tax trap.

Mike Thrift

retirement-plansretirement-savingstax-planning

May 14, 202613 min read

Section 7702B Qualified Long-Term Care Insurance: Age-Indexed Deductions, Hybrid Life-LTC Policies, and Section 1035 Exchanges

Section 7702B sets the federal rules that decide whether a long-term care policy delivers deductible premiums, tax-free benefits, and tax-free 1035 exchanges. This guide breaks down the 2026 age-indexed deduction limits, the $430 per-diem cap, hybrid life-LTC mechanics, and the planning patterns that move trapped cash value into care coverage without recognizing gain.

Mike Thrift

tax-planninginsurancehealth-insurance

May 14, 202614 min read

Section 83(i) Tax Deferral on Private Company Stock: A Five-Year Lifeline for Pre-IPO Employees with RSUs and NSOs

Section 83(i) lets qualified employees of qualified private companies defer federal income tax on RSU settlements and NSO exercises for up to five years. The 80 percent grant rule, mandatory escrow, and 30-day election deadline explain why adoption stays in the single digits — and when the election still pays off.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-planningequity

May 13, 202611 min read

Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax in 2026: How Grandparents Pass Wealth to Grandchildren Without Paying Estate Tax Twice

A 2026 guide to the U.S. generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax — the permanent $15 million lifetime exemption under the One Big Beautiful Bill, who counts as a skip person, the three triggering events, dynasty trust mechanics, and the Forms 709, 706, and 706-GS that grandparent-to-grandchild transfers require.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-planningestate-planning

May 13, 202613 min read

The ISO AMT Trap in 2026: How Tech Employees Get Hit With Six-Figure Tax Bills on Stock They Can't Sell

Exercising and holding ISOs adds the bargain element to AMTI on Form 6251 Line 2i, which can produce a six-figure tax bill before a single share is sold. A 2026 guide to the tightened AMT exemption phase-out ($500K single / $1M MFJ at 50¢ per dollar), the qualifying disposition rules under IRC §422, and the planning moves — AMT crossover exercise, §83(b) early exercise, same-year disqualifying sale, and multi-year laddering — that keep tech employees out of the trap.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-planningequity-instruments

May 13, 202612 min read

Innocent Spouse Relief: How Form 8857 Unwinds Joint Tax Liability After Divorce

Form 8857 lets a spouse seek relief from joint tax liability under IRC Section 6015. This guide walks through the two-year deadline, the three relief categories—traditional, separation, and equitable—and how divorced, separated, or abused taxpayers build a record that survives IRS and Tax Court review.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-compliancedivorce

May 13, 202614 min read

Innocent Spouse Relief: A Guide to Form 8857 and Section 6015

Innocent spouse relief under IRC Section 6015 lets divorced or separated taxpayers escape joint liability for a spouse's tax misconduct via Form 8857. This guide covers the three types of relief—traditional, separation of liability, and equitable—plus deadlines, evidence requirements, and the common reasons the IRS denies claims.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-compliancedivorce

May 13, 202613 min read

ISO AMT in 2026: Bargain Element, Form 6251 Line 2i, and the OBBBA Phase-Out Cliff

Under OBBBA, the 2026 AMT exemption phases out at $500K single / $1M joint with a 50-cent rate, doubling the stealth bracket on ISO exercises. Here is exactly how the bargain element flows into Form 6251 line 2i, when a same-year disqualifying disposition eliminates the AMT adjustment, and how to plan exercises to avoid a six-figure phantom-income tax bill.

Mike Thrift

equity-instrumentstax-planningstock-basis

May 13, 202612 min read

Qualified Charitable Distributions in 2026: A $111,000 Tax-Free Path From IRA to Charity

A complete 2026 guide to Qualified Charitable Distributions — the IRS-sanctioned strategy that lets retirees age 70½ and older route up to $111,000 from an IRA directly to a qualified charity without recognizing the distribution as taxable income.

Mike Thrift

charitable-givingiratax-planning

May 13, 202612 min read

Section 1212 Capital Loss Carryover: The $3,000 Annual Cap, Indefinite Carryforward, and Why Character Survives Across Tax Years

A practical guide to IRS Section 1212 for individual investors: the $3,000 annual ordinary-income cap, indefinite carryforward, short-term vs. long-term character preservation, the Schedule D ordering rules, and how wash sales interact with carryovers.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-planningcapital-gains

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