Smart Money With Sam

10/23/2026

Most Roth conversion math gets this wrong.

A round dollar figure or a fixed percentage sounds reasonable, but neither one tells you the most important number: how much space you actually have left in your current tax bracket.

That gap between where your income lands and where the next bracket begins is what determines whether the next dollar you convert gets taxed at your current rate or the one above it.

Convert within that space and you stay at your current rate. Go past it and the overage climbs into the next bracket. Both can be valid choices, but they have different costs, and the only way to make that call clearly is to know where the line sits for you this year.

That line also shifts every year. Your income changes. Your deductions change. The bracket thresholds adjust for inflation. A strategy set once and left alone can quietly drift out of alignment.

Watch this week's video for a full walkthrough of the math.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Foundation Wealth Partners is a financial advisor serving The Achiever and The Pre-Retiree.

10/23/2026

You can help ensure that losing your wallet doesn't turn into something bigger.

Ever lost your wallet? Frustrating. Here’s what you can do to keep yourself safe.

10/22/2026

Divorce is a painful process. Avoid financial mistakes that may have life-long consequences.

By understanding a few key concepts during a divorce, you may be able to avoid common pitfalls.

10/21/2026

Most of your tax bracket is already decided.

By the fourth quarter, the big income numbers are mostly locked in. Salary, bonuses, self-employment income — much of it has already landed or been determined.

What that means: estimating where your income lands this year is no longer a guessing exercise. It's mostly an addition problem, and the numbers you need are probably sitting in a recent pay stub or a year-to-date summary.

It usually takes less time than people expect.

And once you have that estimate, a handful of year-end planning decisions get a lot easier to work through. Retirement contributions, tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversions — many of these have deadlines or work best when you know where you stand on income first.

Don't assume you already know the number. It's worth taking a few minutes to actually check it.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Foundation Wealth Partners is a financial advisor serving Achievers and Pre-Retirees between the ages of 45 and 65 with household income of $250,000 or more.

10/21/2026

Surprises crop up every day, and they’re a great reason to work with us.

Making the most of surprises is a great reason to work with us.

10/20/2026

Skip this Roth question and you could overpay.

Most people spend a lot of energy asking whether a Roth conversion makes sense for them. That is a fair question. It involves your tax brackets, your time horizon, your goals.

But there is a second question that does not get nearly enough attention, and skipping it is where the real mistakes happen.

How much to convert is a completely different kind of problem. It is not about philosophy or percentages. It is about knowing exactly where your income sits this year and how much room you have before crossing into a higher bracket. That number changes every year, which means the answer from last year does not apply today.

Get it wrong, and a conversion that was supposed to save you money ends up costing you more than expected.

This week's video breaks down exactly how to find that number.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Foundation Wealth Partners is a financial advisor serving Achievers and Pre-Retirees.

10/20/2026

Have you ever had to deal with a "white elephant" inheritance? Learn how to avoid holding on to a burden in our latest article.

This article deals with how one might deal with a burdensome inheritance.

10/19/2026

Attention Estate Executors: Do you know about the Alternate Valuation Date?

10/16/2026

Asking the wrong Roth question? 👀 This one matters more.

Everyone gets stuck debating whether to do a Roth conversion at all. But that's actually not the most important question.

The question worth asking is: has anything about your situation changed since the last time you reviewed this?

Your income may have shifted. Tax laws may have changed. Your account balances look different. And your time horizon is shorter today than it was last year by definition.

A conversion that made sense before might not fit anymore. Or it might make even more sense now.

The only way to know is to take five minutes and actually look.

That quick check costs nothing and could change your answer entirely, even if you end up in the same place you started.

If it's been a while since you've revisited this before year-end, that's worth a real conversation.

All content presented is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation or offer to sell securities or provide investment, tax, or legal advice. All examples are hypothetical, for illustrative purposes only, and are merely arithmetic calculations. They are not representative of the performance of any type of investment, security, or strategy offered by the firm. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Hypothetical returns do not reflect actual trading and may not be indicative of the performance of any specific investment. They are based on assumptions and estimates that may not be accurate or applicable to your individual situation. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

10/16/2026

An ILIT could play a role in your estate strategy.

Irrevocable life insurance trusts can be important tools that may accomplish a number of estate objectives.