Articles and Insights
Creative Financial Group’s Retirement Articles & Insights provide practical guidance for people approaching retirement, already retired, or planning for the next generation. Explore expert insights on retirement taxes, investing, Social Security, Medicare, estate planning, and other important financial decisions.
The Best Account for Your Child at Every Age: A 0 to 18 Decision Guide
There’s no single best account for a child. There’s a best account for each job at each age: the Trump Account for free money and retirement from birth, the 529...
Trump Account vs. UTMA/UGMA: Taxes, Control, and Flexibility
A UTMA/UGMA custodial account offers unlimited contributions and total spending flexibility, but its investment income is taxed every year under the kiddie tax and it counts against financial aid. A...
Do Trump Accounts Hurt Financial Aid? The FAFSA Question Nobody Can Answer Yet
Honest answer: nobody knows for certain yet. The Department of Education hasn’t issued guidance on how Trump Accounts are reported on the FAFSA, and credible experts disagree. The favorable view...
The Grandparents’ Guide to Trump Accounts: Gifts, Limits, and the Shared $5,000 Cap
Yes, grandparents can contribute to a grandchild’s Trump Account, up to the account’s $5,000 annual limit. But that limit is shared with everyone else who gives, including the parents and...
Trump Account vs. Roth IRA for Kids: The Age 18 Conversion Play
A Roth IRA beats a Trump Account on taxes, because qualified Roth growth is never taxed while Trump Account growth is taxed as ordinary income. But a Roth requires earned...
What Should You Do in the 5 Years Before You Retire?
The 5 years before retirement are when most lifetime tax savings get locked in. The most important moves are: build a year-by-year retirement income projection, identify whether RMDs will create...
Trump Account vs. 529 Plan: Which One Should You Fund First?
For most families, the order is simple: claim the free $1,000 Trump Account seed if your child qualifies, then direct ongoing education savings to a 529 plan first. The 529...
How Can You Reduce Your Required Minimum Distributions?
You reduce required minimum distributions by shrinking the balance of your traditional retirement accounts before RMDs begin. Under current law, RMDs start at age 73 for those born between 1951...
What Is a Trump Account? Rules, Eligibility, and the $1,000 Seed Explained
A Trump Account is a new tax-deferred investment account for children under 18, created by the law signed July 4, 2025 and launched July 4, 2026. Eligible newborns born 2025...
How Do You Get Health Insurance If You Retire Before 65?
If you retire before age 65 and Medicare eligibility, the four main health insurance options are COBRA (up to 18 months of your employer plan), the Affordable Care Act marketplace...
How Are Taxes Different for a Surviving Spouse?
A surviving spouse usually pays significantly more in federal taxes than the couple did filing jointly, even when income drops. The reason is that single filer tax brackets are roughly half...
How Much Can You Safely Withdraw From Your Retirement Savings?
For a 30 year retirement with a diversified portfolio, most research supports a starting withdrawal rate between 3.5 and 4 percent in year one, adjusted for inflation each year after....
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