LCJ Associates

Think “tax-loss harvesting” is only for bad markets or complicated portfolios?

At a simple level, it is this: using certain investment losses to manage taxes while keeping focus on your long-term strategy.

How it works in plain English:

➡️ Sell an investment at a loss, then replace it with a different investment that plays a similar role in the portfolio.

➡️ Use the realized loss to offset realized investment gains.

➡️ If losses exceed gains, up to $3k per year (for married filing jointly) may offset ordinary income on federal taxes, and the rest carries forward.

➡️ Losses can be saved to offset future gains.

➡️ Watch the wash sale rule, which is buying the same or substantially identical security within a 30-day period before or after the “tax-loss harvesting” sale (61 days total).

➡️ We can show you how tax-loss harvesting works. Your tax, legal, and accounting professionals can show you how your decision will affect your tax situation.

The goal is not to chase tax savings. It’s to keep more of the portfolio working over time while staying aligned with the strategy.

💼 If the office had a control tower, it would not be in a corner office.

Administrative Professionals Day is for the people who keep the runway clear, the calendar sane, and the details tight.

In most firms, that role is bigger than a title.

It’s the person who anticipates what is needed before anyone asks.

It’s the person who protects focus, keeps everything on track, and makes sure our clients feel taken care of.

It’s the person who wears five hats and still brings calm to the day.

Grateful for the administrative professionals and the behind-the-scenes leaders who make the work better. 💼

April is National Stress Awareness Month, and caring for aging parents is one of the biggest stressors many families face.

In our experience, stress drops when the basics are handled before there is urgency.

Here are 5 things to consider:

➡️ Financial power of attorney, so someone can act if needed

➡️ Healthcare proxy, so medical decisions are clear and legally supported

➡️ Account access, so a trusted contact can see what is happening without scrambling

➡️ Bill pay strategy, so nothing becomes a late fee problem on top of everything else

➡️ A shared “where things live” file, documents, logins, contacts, including key professionals

These are not fun conversations, but they are often a gift to future selves and to siblings who may need to step in.

When preparations have been made, families can give more time and attention to what actually matters.

Your Social Security claiming age doesn't just affect you. It could affect your spouse's income for life. 👇

If you're the higher earner, the age you claim shapes what your spouse receives as a survivor benefit after you're gone.

Claim at 62, and that smaller payment could follow them for decades.

A few things that surprise people when we walk through the math:

✅ Max monthly benefit in 2026: $2,969 at age 62 vs. $5,181 at age 70. Same person, very different outcome.

✅ Up to 85 percent of benefits may be taxable. A new $6,000 senior deduction helps, but it expires in 2028.

✅ Divorced after 10+ years? You may be eligible for benefits based on your ex-spouse's record without affecting their payments.

The break-even point between claiming early and delaying benefits falls between ages 78 and 81.

With the potential for one spouse in a married couple reaching 90, this decision deserves more than a guess. 💡

🐕 🐶 🐈 Whether you have a dog who loses their mind every time you walk in the door or a cat who barely acknowledges your existence, you know how much pets mean to the people who have them.

They show up in our work more than you'd think.

Not just in estate preparation or budgeting for care, but in bigger conversations about what retirement looks like or what happens when circumstances change, and a pet's care becomes part of the equation.

For a lot of people, their pets are family, and preparation that ignores them misses the point.

Happy National Pet Day!! 🐕 🐶 🐈

Any guess how much you’ll spend on healthcare costs in retirement?

A 2025 study by Fidelity puts the after-tax cost at about $330k for an average retired couple and $165k for a single person, excluding long-term care.

Did you know…

⚠️ The $330k and $165k estimates are after-tax and do not include long-term care.

⚠️ Healthcare costs have typically risen faster than the average rate of inflation, the Fidelity report showed.

⚠️ Costs can vary by medical conditions and where someone lives, so rules of thumb can miss.

A lot of people underestimate this line item, enough that if you haven’t included assumptions for it in your retirement strategy, you should.

It deserves an in-depth financial conversation.

We’re proud to share some exciting news! 🎉

LCJ Associates has been named to LPL Financial’s Summit Club for the third consecutive year—an honor recognizing the top 2% of advisors for outstanding performance and client dedication.

This achievement reflects the trust our clients place in us, and we’re incredibly grateful to be part of your financial journey. Your continued partnership inspires us to keep raising the bar.

Here’s to continued growth and helping you reach your financial goals!

Wishing a blessed Easter to everyone celebrating.

Hope the day brings peace, renewal, and a reminder of what matters most.

What a $5 Frappuccino can teach your teen about building wealth 👇

April is National Financial Literacy Month, and here's a number worth sharing at the dinner table.

If your teen opens a Roth IRA at 18 with $1,000 from a part-time job and adds $1,000 a year, that single account could be worth nearly $500,000 by age 65. Tax-free.

Think they can't save $1,000 a year? Skipping the daily Frappuccino more than covers it. ☕

But the best financial education isn't about the math. It's about real decisions with real consequences.

A few things that actually work:

✅ Hand them cash instead of a credit card for shopping. Let them keep what they don't spend.

✅ Give them a clothing budget for the year. If they blow it by October, that's the lesson.

✅ Have the college money talk before they fall in love with a school. As one counselor put it, "Have the conversation before they buy the hoodie."

✅ With the Roth IRA, you can show them that there are certain rules with certain accounts. For example, to qualify for the tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings, Roth IRA distributions must meet a 5-year holding requirement and occur after age 59½. Also, tax-free and penalty-free withdrawals can also be taken under certain other circumstances, such as the owner's death. The original Roth IRA owner is not required to take minimum annual withdrawals.

What's one money lesson you wish someone had taught you earlier? 👇



Please consult with a tax and finance professional before making any decisions.

Ever had that moment where everything in the financial picture looks “fine,” but it is still not clear what to do next?

That is what Financial Literacy Month can be: moving from information to decisions.

A few ways it shows up in real life:

💡 Knowing which levers matter most: savings, taxes, and behavior during volatility.

💡 Streamlining overcomplexity, more accounts and products are not always better.

💡Treating retirement as a cash flow strategy, not just about investments.

💡 Preparing for healthcare and longevity costs with intention, not assumptions.

💡 Keeping estate documents, titling, and beneficiaries aligned, so everything works when it matters.

The payoff is clarity, fewer reactive decisions, and a strategy that stays coordinated as life changes.

Working with a financial professional can help translate knowledge into action across the full picture.

Ever Googled someone and found their home address, phone number, and maybe even email sitting in plain sight?

Identity protection is essential for helping to safeguard financial accounts and credit, which is why it matters. 🔒

If you’re interested, here are some tips to help you remove personal information from Google Search results.

🌐 Use “Results about you” to locate results with contact details, and set alerts for new matches.

🌐 Submit a removal request for personal contact info like home address, phone number, or email.

🌐 Provide the exact page URLs that contain the information. Google reviews each URL submitted.

This is a simple, high-impact privacy step. For additional protection, pair it with strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and regular credit monitoring. You can’t be too careful.

Did you know the typical first-time homebuyer is now 40?

That is why more parents are stepping in, nearly 80 percent of Gen Z homeowners say they received family financial help.

If you are considering helping an adult child buy a home, the key question is usually not “should we help,” it’s “how do we structure it?”

Before money moves, pressure test four things:

➡️ Gift, loan, or shared ownership? Each has different implications.
➡️ Protect your strategy. Help them without creating pressure on your own liquidity and goals.
➡️ Protect the family. Prepare such that you’re protected if life changes or the home is sold.
➡️ Keep it fair. Think ahead about sibling dynamics and future gifts.

Most families are surprised by how many options exist and how different the outcomes can be.

If you have done this, what worked best in your situation?