NestEggPF’s Editor’s Picks feature articles on tax optimization, Medicare Advantage, crypto, and solar tax credits.

By John H. Robinson, Financial Planner (July 2024)

As the owner/found of Financial Planning Hawaii, Fee-Only Planning Hawaii and the Nest Egg Guru Personal Financed website, I take great pride in producing high-quality original content on a broad range of financial planning topics.  The content I create is written to be engaging enough to compel recipients of our newsletter to “Read More.”  As an experienced professional financial planner, I also strive to provide a level of knowledge and depth in the articles that set our blog content apart.

However, there are certain topics on the financial planning spectrum that are beyond the scope of my professional expertise but are relevant to some segment of our audience.  On these topics, I prefer to share content produced by other professionals.  Similarly, sometimes I come across articles on topics that are within my professional knowledge base but present concepts in a way that is as good or better than I could express.  

Here are my four latest Great Reads:

Managing Taxes in Retirement using the Effective Marginal Tax Rate (Advisor Perspectives)
Contrary to popular belief, tax optimization is not as simple as simply filling up the lowest federal marginal tax brackets.  In making tax optimization decisions, American taxpayers would do well understand how items such as social security benefits, Medicare surcharge, and the Net Investment Income Tax factor into their tax planning.

Medicare Advatage is Under Fire. What It Means for Your Health – and Your Wallet. (Barron’s)

I have often quipped that I would prefer to stick knitting needles in my eyes than sit through a 3-hour seminar on Medicare planning.  This is one those topics that is best presented by those unique individuals who have made this this their niche.  Despite the insufferably dry and arcane nature of Medicare, this article is well written and informative.  

Does Crypto Belong in Your Portfolio? (Advisor Perspectives)

Over the years, I have been outspoken in sharing my views on cryptocurrencies. I do not consider crypto to be an investment because there really are no fundamental underpinnings on which to gauge future return expectations.  I also consider Crypto’s contributions to global society to be a net negative because (A) crypto mining consumes an enormous amount of energy and (B) crypto plays a disproportionate role in enabling illicit activity (e.g., funding terrorism, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and ransomware attacks).

At the same time, I have never actively discouraged clients from purchasing crypto because it is such a wild card in the financial world, and I truly have no idea whether it will continue to be a wealth building tool or a non-correlated store of value. The last thing I want to be is the person who kept someone from making a fortune by telling him/her/they to avoid crypto. This article written by financial planner and WSJ columnist Allan Roth does a wonderful job of articulating how consumers should approach the decision to include crypto currency in their portfolios.

2024 federal solar tax credit explained (Solar Reviews.com)

I generally do not accept guest posts for our blogs because most of the content that is given to me is biased and/or poorly written.  It was with such skepticism that I greeted the person who authored this piece.  However, after reading the article, I found it to be both well-written and objective.  Solar is obviously a big deal in Hawaii, but it is a topic on which my knowledge is admittedly limited. For anyone considering Solar, this article provides an excellent foundation.   I also encourage all clients to consult with the their CPA or tax advisor and to specifically ask if there are any additional state-specific tax incentives.