Latest Articles
The IRS Says That You Can Contribute More to Your IRA and 401(k) in 2019
Late last week, the IRS announced increased contribution limits for IRAs, 401(k)s and other retirement plans. IRAs have been stuck at $5,500 since 2013, but are finally moving up to $6,000 starting in 2019. If you save in a 401(k), including a Solo K, the good news is...
Tax and Legal Basics: Moving Yourself or Your Money Outside the U.S.
Are you a U.S. citizen considering moving yourself or your money outside the USA? Before you or money leave the USA, first consider the tax and legal consequences as they are often misunderstood. U.S. Citizens have numerous tax and reporting obligations that arise...
How to Transfer or Rollover Funds to Your IRA?
You have a number of options and decisions to make when moving funds from a retirement account (401(k), 403(b), IRA) to an IRA. And you've got to be careful because sometimes checking the wrong box on your transfer, rollover, and withdrawal forms can have drastic tax...
Can My IRA/LLC Have a Brokerage Trading Account?
Many self-directed IRA investors use an IRA/LLC to make and hold their self-directed IRA investments. In essence, an IRA/LLC (aka "checkbook-controlled IRA") is an LLC owned 100% by an IRA. For a summary and description of an IRA/LLC, please refer to my video here....
What is a Foreign LLC or Corporation, and When Do I Need to Register My Company in Another State?
Business owners and investors doing business in multiple states often ask the question of whether their company, that is set up in one state needs to be registered into the other state(s) where they are doing business. This registration from your state of...
Distributions from Your Retirement Account: The Top Ten List
I'm routinely asked questions about what taxes and rules apply when a distribution occurs from a retirement account. Here are the top ten rules you should know about distributions from retirement accounts: The first 5 facts apply to Traditional IRA and 401(k) accounts...
Legally Raising Money for Others
If you are receiving a fee for assisting someone else’s company in raising money, then you must operate within the confines of securities laws. These laws provide three different ways in which one may legally raise money for another company for a fee. You can't get a...
Precious Metals Rules For Your Solo 401(k)
Self-directed 401(k) owners, companies in the industry, and many professionals have been confused on what rules, if any, govern when buying precious metals with a self-directed 401(k). There is a code section in IRC § 408(m) that outlines what metals can be owned by a...
401(k) Loans: How to Use $50K from Your Own 401(k)
Do you need access to your retirement account funds to start a business, pay for education expenses or training, make a personal investment, or pay off high interest debt? Rather than taking a taxable distribution from your 401(k), you can access a portion of the...
What Trump’s Lawyer, “Breaking Bad,” and “The Godfather” Teach Us About Attorney-Client Privilege
President Trump's private lawyer, Michael Cohen, recently had his home and office raided by federal agents. But wait, isn't all of his information attorney-client privileged? If you're confused at how a lawyer’s records could be raided, your instincts are right. We've...
Three Instances of When You Need a New Subsidiary Entity for Your Business
Are you growing your business? Adding new products or services? New locations? Adding partners or owners? If so, these are all instances when you should consider setting up a subsidiary or other new entity for your existing company. While you can run multiple streams...
Solo K 5500-EZ Requirement and $15,000 Failure to File Relief
Do you have a Solo 401(k)? Have you been filing form 5500-EZ each year for the Solo 401(k)? Are you aware that there is a penalty up to $15,000 per year for failure to file? While some Solo 401(k)s are exempt from the 5500-EZ filing requirement, we have ran across...
Published Work
VIP Contributor on Entrepreneur where I write on retirement, tax, and legal topics.
My article on real estate investment assigments was in Realtor Magazine, which is the largest real estate publication in the US