Hinman Financial Planning, Inc,

10/06/2026

“Does this still fit your life?” is a question I’ve been asking clients a lot lately.

This fall, it’s led us to take a closer look at three areas in particular:

1. Roth Conversions

We’re looking at what income may look like for the year and whether a conversion makes sense.

Has income changed? Is retirement getting closer? Is there a reason this year may be different from the next few?

2. Benefit reviews

Open enrollment is a natural time to review health insurance and other workplace benefits.

What changed since you made these elections last year? And do you still need the same coverage?

3. Estate plans and beneficiaries

This is a new focus for us this year. We’re checking beneficiary designations and encouraging clients to revisit their estate plans.

Do the people you named years ago still reflect who you would choose today?

Three very different conversations, but I find myself coming back to the same question in each one:

Does this still fit your life?

If something here made you think, “I haven’t looked at that in a while,” that’s worth a conversation. Bring it up next time we talk.

09/29/2026

December 31 is getting closer. Are these three financial decisions still on your to-do list?

Here are three I’d put on your October radar:

1. Take your RMD

If you’re required to take an RMD this year, check to make sure it’s taken care of before year-end.

2. Review your charitable giving

If charitable giving is part of your year-end plans, now is a good time to think about how you want to give, especially with the new charitable deduction rules in effect for 2026.

And if you’re eligible for a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), it may be worth considering whether you want to use one for some or all of your RMD.

3. Consider a Roth conversion

By October, you should have a pretty good idea of what your income for 2026 will be. That can help you evaluate how a conversion could affect your overall tax situation for the year.

When someone asks me whether a Roth conversion makes sense, we rarely look at that decision alone. We look at what else is happening financially that year before deciding.

RMDs and Roth conversions can increase your taxable income. A QCD, on the other hand, can satisfy all or part of an RMD without that distribution being included in your taxable income.

These decisions can affect one another, which is exactly why I like looking at them in October instead of waiting until December.

If any of these items are still on your 2026 to-do list, let’s review them together while there’s still time to make a plan before year-end.

09/21/2026

If retirement is getting closer and you’re thinking, I wish I’d saved a little more by now, here’s something worth getting excited about. 🥳

If you turn 60–63 in 2026, you have an extra opportunity to catch up.

Those 50 and older can already make up to $8,000 in catch-up contributions to their 401(k) in 2026.

But under the SECURE 2.0 Act, that amount bumps up to $11,250 if you turn 60-63 in 2026.

Add that $11,250 to the $24,500 base amount allowed for a 401(k), and you can contribute a total of $35,750 for 2026.

That’s a lot of extra room to save, especially when retirement is starting to feel a whole lot closer.

There’s another change to be aware of this year:

If you earned more than $150,000 in F**A wages from the employer sponsoring your plan in 2025, your 2026 catch-up contributions generally must be made as Roth contributions.

The IRS uses a one-year look-back for this rule, so it’s your 2025 wages from that employer, not what you earn in 2026, that determine whether the Roth requirement applies this year.

That means it’s worth checking both your current contribution rate and your employer’s plan options as you decide how much you want to contribute this year.

If you have the extra room to save, this four-year window could make a meaningful difference in your retirement savings.

09/16/2026

Do you have an old 401(k) still sitting with a former employer?

You’ve probably wondered what to do with it.

You could roll it into an IRA, but that means trusting an advisor to manage a significant piece of your retirement savings. Handing over that kind of money is a big ask, and it’s natural to feel uneasy about it.

When I recommend a rollover that I’ll be compensated to manage, Department of Labor protections require me to document specifically why that recommendation is in your best interest.

That said, there’s no right or wrong choice.

Staying put in your employer plan can mean lower-cost, plan-only funds you won’t find elsewhere.

But an account left in an employer plan can also be harder for an outside advisor to oversee and incorporate into your ongoing planning.

And if you’re sitting on a position with a big unrealized gain in a taxable account, you don’t necessarily have to sell. If the math says wait, you can wait.

This is your call. I simply believe you deserve the full picture before you decide.

I break down the trade-offs, the Department of Labor protection, and what to consider before making a move in my latest blog:

If you’re thinking about rolling an old 401(k) into an IRA, I want you to know something before you decide anything. There’s a rule that protects you in this exact moment — and it exists because handing your retirement savings to someone else to manage is a big deal.

09/08/2026

I don’t believe retirees should follow the same withdrawal order year after year.

While you’re working, the goal is largely accumulation: save, invest, and give your money time to grow.

Retirement changes the equation.

Now, your portfolio also needs to provide the money you’re spending. And where that money comes from can matter.

If the market is down significantly, for example, we may decide to use available cash rather than selling investments that have already fallen in value.

This can matter even more early in retirement, when withdrawals during a market downturn leave less money invested to participate in a recovery. That’s sequence-of-returns risk.

It’s also one reason your asset allocation may look different in retirement.

Having cash and more conservative investments available can give you places to draw from without automatically selling stocks during a downturn.

But that doesn’t mean I start retirement with a rigid list that says:

Cash first
Then taxable
Then IRA
Then Roth

The market may recover. Tax considerations may make an IRA withdrawal more attractive. Or your taxable account may be the better source.

I’d rather make sure you have multiple places to get the money you need, then decide which one makes the most sense based on the market, your taxes, and your overall financial picture at the time.

If you’re approaching retirement, have you figured out where your monthly spending money will come from once the paycheck stops?

08/31/2026

If your will/trust and your 401(k) list different beneficiaries, which one wins out?

Many people don’t realize this, but IRAs, 401(k)s, and life insurance don’t pass through your will or trust.

They pass directly to whoever is named on the beneficiary form.

Even if that form is outdated or wrong, it trumps the estate planning documents.

And if the beneficiaries are missing entirely or left blank, the account usually falls back to a default set by the custodian.

(Usually to the estate, which can mean probate.)

Incorrect beneficiary designations can be a major source of stress during one of life's most vulnerable, emotional moments.

The good news is that it’s very easy to fix. This month, check which beneficiaries are listed on:

➜ Retirement accounts (401(k)s, IRAs)
➜ Life insurance policies
➜ Any account with a TOD/POD designation (transfer-on-death/payable-on-death)
➜ Contingent beneficiaries

If something needs updating, or if you’re not sure where to look, I’m happy to help you find everything you need.

08/25/2026

Sometimes the smarter move is saving less in retirement accounts and more outside of them.

Let's say you're 54, with roughly $3 million saved across your retirement accounts.

By any measure, that's an incredible amount of savings.

But most of that $3 million comes with strings attached.

You're still more than five years from 59 ½, and if you only have a couple hundred thousand dollars in cash, the rest is mostly out of reach until you get closer to that age, with only limited exceptions.

Now let's say you're also starting to think seriously about leaving your job early. Maybe in a year or two, not five.

That $3 million won't help you get there.

A personal, taxable investment account works differently. There's no age requirement, waiting period, or rules about when you can use it.

You put money in, and it's yours to use whenever you need it: to retire early, help a child, cover something unexpected, or simply have options when life doesn't go according to plan.

That flexibility is worth something, even if it means paying capital gains tax along the way.

Thinking about when you'll need your money is a major part of your financial plan, not just how much you're saving.

08/18/2026

Ever checked your brokerage account and thought, "wait, is that right?"

Maybe you felt excited... or a little anxious with the itch to do something.

This comes up often: a couple has wanted to do a major home renovation for years but never pulled the trigger. Then they realize their portfolio has grown by over a million dollars in the last year, and wonder if they can finally get the renovation done.

The answer is often yes. They can pay the taxes on those gains and still be right where their plan called for.

Markets don't stay this generous forever. If there's something real you've been wanting, and your accounts are giving you 6-figure wiggle room, this might be your moment.

More on how to think it through:

Markets are up and your portfolio has grown. Here’s how to decide when it makes sense to use some of those gains toward the things you’ve planned for.

08/10/2026

“Why did our Medicare premiums suddenly go up?”

That was the question Brian and Lynn asked after receiving their new Medicare premium notices.

The frustrating part was that nothing about their income had changed recently.

But two years earlier, it had.

Brian and Lynn had owned an investment for several years that had grown significantly in value. They decided it was the right time to sell, knowing the sale would result in about $200,000 in capital gains.

They planned for the tax bill and thought they knew what the sale would cost them.

Then, two years later, that gain came back into the picture.

Their Medicare premiums had increased by about $250 per person, per month.

For the two of them, that meant an extra $500 every month. That’s an additional $6,000 a year they hadn’t planned on.

Why?

Medicare generally uses your income from two years earlier to determine what you’ll pay for Parts B and D.

If your income crosses certain thresholds, you may pay an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, better known as IRMAA, on top of your regular Medicare premiums.

A sizable capital gain, Roth conversion, business sale, or other income event may make perfect sense. But before moving forward, it’s worth looking at more than the immediate tax bill.

Could it affect your Medicare premiums two years from now?

That’s a question we want to answer before the notice arrives in the mail.

If you’re considering a financial move that could significantly increase your income this year, let’s look at the full picture before you make it.

Brian and Lynn are fictional characters, but the story is based on scenarios I often observe.

08/03/2026

A $1,000,000 inheritance sounds like a blessing.

It can also become a surprisingly expensive tax bill if you wait too long to make a plan.

Let's say you inherit a $1 million traditional IRA while you're still earning $300,000 a year.

Under today's rules, many non-spouse beneficiaries must empty that IRA within 10 years.

You don't necessarily have to take the same amount each year, but the account generally has to be emptied by the end of those 10 years.

Now imagine you've waited until the end and there's still $600,000 left in the account.

Taking that much taxable income in a single year on top of your salary could mean paying far more in taxes than if you'd planned those distributions over several years.

It’s just as important to focus on the years leading up to the deadline as it is the deadline itself.

If you've inherited an IRA, or expect to someday, let's run the numbers before you start taking distributions. A little planning now could save a significant amount in taxes later.