Melissa Moss, Moss Wealth Management

09/12/2026

HENRYs (High Earner Not Righ Yet) have an opportunity to save up to 20% on their investment taxes if are mindful about how they are allocated in taxable accounts.

For a married couple filing jointly with a modified adjusted gross income of $550,000, they fall in the 35% income tax bracket, but their long-term capital gains rate is 15%. Dividends and short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income (35%) and are also subject to a 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT), while long-term capital gains would be taxed at 15% But also be subject to that 3.8% NIIT.

In short, for HENRYs, long-term growth investment vehicles are poised to cost 20% less in taxes than short-term and dividend-paying investments.

09/10/2026

If you could give your younger self one piece of financial advice, what would it be and why?

If I could go back and give my younger self one financial lesson, it wouldn’t be about picking investments, understanding taxes, or learning everything there is to know about money.

It would be much simpler than that — and I think it matters far more.

What would you tell your younger self?

09/09/2026

Do you feel both partners should contribute equally to savings and investments?

I actually think that’s the wrong question.

Two people can contribute the exact same amount and still have a financial arrangement that feels deeply unfair.

And two people can contribute very different amounts and be completely aligned.

The difference is something most couples don’t talk about nearly enough.

What is your perspective on this?

09/07/2026

I hope you're not working 9-to-5 this Labor Day. Enjoy your long weekend, y'all!

09/04/2026

Riley was not as into today’s shuffle (rude), but I landed on a good one.

Back in December 2020, my brother Matt was proposing to his now wife, Callie, and our whole family flew to Denver to hide in the bushes at the botanical gardens and surprise her. I mean that literally. We became “the bush people” that day.
I had my iPad ready to record (got the video… see at the end). Somehow it worked.
The second he got a yes, I yelled “She said yes!” so the whole family knew it was go time, and watching everyone come running out of the bushes is still one of my favorite memories.

Your turn: when’s the last time you got lost in a great adventure? And what’s the next one you’re hoping for?

09/04/2026

Markets pushed higher in August as AI-driven optimism helped investors look past softer economic data. The S&P 500 gained 2.62% and the S&P/TSX Composite rose 2.96%, even as softening retail sales kept consumer spending in focus. Back-to-school season adds another data point to that story, with spending expected to reach \$146.8 billion in the U.S. and \$4.5 billion in Canada this year.

Melissa Moss is all about the real currency of life: connection, creativity, contribution… & sometimes cash. She is also a: 

09/02/2026

Starting something new here: a segment called Card Reveal, using Esther Perel's "Where Shall We Begin" card deck. (Full credit to a friend's social media guy, whose Instagram gave me this idea.)

The first card I pulled was "A conversation I wish I could have again." I didn't plan on going here, but it took me straight to my mom.

She was my best friend. In early 2018 she got sick, and the conversation I keep replaying happened at Northside Hospital in late April, right before she went back for surgery. I had my laptop out, still working on building the business, sitting there on the hospital Wi-Fi. She handed me her glasses and her ChapStick before she went back. I didn't know that would be the last time she was awake.

I know she knew I loved her. I know she loved me. I just wish I'd said it louder, one more time, in that moment.

So if you take one thing from this: say "I love you" to the people you love. Today, out loud, while you can.

More of these coming. Thanks for letting me share the harder ones too.

08/20/2026

A husband already on Medicare. A wife who isn’t yet.

Most people hear that and think: fear IRMAA!

But what if its a strategic planning window?

Medicare generally looks back two years at income. So the years before both spouses are enrolled can be some of the most flexible planning years a couple gets. Once they’re both on, crossing that threshold costs more.

That doesn’t mean convert. It means the question isn’t really whether. It’s how much, and by when.

And there’s a piece almost nobody brings up: if one spouse outlives the other, the standard deduction goes from a couple’s to a single person’s. The RMDs don’t shrink to match.

If you’re within a few years of Medicare and you’ve wondered about Roth conversions, send this to the person you’d be making that decision with.

08/07/2026

Markets navigated mixed signals in July. Inflation eased, tech faced pressure, and energy surged. Meanwhile, Americans are planning record travel spending in 2026: \$1.37 trillion. What's shaping your household budget this summer?

Melissa Moss is all about the real currency of life: connection, creativity, contribution… & sometimes cash. She is also a: 

07/22/2026

Just joined my neighborhood Fantasy Football league. Give me your best tips and tricks to set me up for an unlikely victory! 🏆
Runner up team name: Google “Fantasy Football Rules”
Here’s to a winning season ahead for Notice of Violation!