Darin J. Hammerschmidt, CFP - Partner/Wealth Advisor at WealthClarity

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Darin J. Hammerschmidt, CFP - Partner/Wealth Advisor at WealthClarity

Financial Planning - Wealth Management - Tax Planning - Legacy/Estate Planning No offers may be made or accepted from any resident of any other state.

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04/29/2026

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆?

A lot of high‑earning professionals struggle to make sense of their entire tax picture. It can be a little complicated.

Not all gains are taxed the same and the difference between short‑term and long‑term can meaningfully change your after‑tax outcome.

Short‑term gains?
They’re taxed at your ordinary income rate, which is the same rate as your salary and bonus.

Long‑term gains?
They often qualify for lower preferential rates.

And once your income crosses certain thresholds, an additional 3.8% NIIT can apply on top of everything else.

For high earners building wealth across multiple accounts, this creates real questions:

• 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴?
• 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵‐𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘸𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘴?
• 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴?
• 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦?

This is the stage of life where income is strong, but complexity grows even faster.

04/27/2026

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱?

A lot of high earners are surprised to learn that being in a higher tax bracket doesn’t mean all your income is taxed at that rate.
Only the top slice is.

Why does that matter?

Because once you understand how marginal tax rates actually work, you can start making smarter decisions about:

• How much to contribute pre‑tax vs. Roth
• Whether to accelerate or defer income if given the opportunity
• How to manage RSU vesting years
• How to avoid pushing part of your income into a higher bracket unnecessarily

For high earners, this is where real leverage lives. Tax planning is one of the most overlooked ways to do manage these possible opportunities.

If your income is rising and you want to be more intentional about how it’s taxed, I would be happy to have a conversation.

04/23/2026

I met with a new client recently. Mid‑40s, successful, juggling multiple rental properties while running a business. It's safe to say, he's done a great job thus far.

At one point he said something I hear often from high earners in this stage of life: “𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮.”

As a father of three, I completely understand that feeling.

He's not coming to me solely to help him invest wisely. That's one of his goals, but not what he wants to talk about.

He wants to start making decisions that align with the life he wants his family to have. He wants to make sure his wife and children are protected if something happens to him. He wants a better sense of overall organization.

If you’re in your 40s and managing a lot of moving parts, it may be time to slow down for a bit and ensure you have a solid foundation as you keep forging ahead.

04/21/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.

The person you are when nearing retirement isn't always who you expect to be when you're younger and begin saving for retirement.

Retirement is one of the top 10 most stressful life events. Almost half of retirees say adjusting was harder than expected. Nearly half say it took longer than expected.

Somewhat surprisingly, a change in portfolio value isn’t even on the list of the most stressful events. Losing routine, identity, work relationships, purpose, structure are what top the list for many folks.

As an Advisor, my job isn’t just to manage money. It’s to help you navigate the human side of this significant transition. To help ensure your financial plan stays aligned with the person you’re becoming.

If you'd like to talk through some of this, you're more than welcome to schedule a complimentary call or meeting via the link in the comments.

04/10/2026

A lot of families with a few million saved think all is good and they're in great shape to retire. And that may be true. But the real work and planning opportunities often come to light in the five to ten years before retirement.

Turning a portfolio into steady, tax‑efficient income isn’t as simple as picking a withdrawal rate.

You can have very different outcomes depending on the investments, account structure, and your withdrawal strategy.

04/08/2026

Every now and then I’m on a call with a potential new client and I can sense the hesitation when I ask a question that seems unrelated to the issue they came in with.

For example, someone might say,
“𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴?”

Because those answers are the context.

If exercising options triggers a tax bill, I need to know whether you have the liquidity to cover it.

If it shifts your overall investment mix, I need to understand how it fits into your broader plan.

If it affects your long‑term goals, I need to make sure the decision supports, not derails, the bigger picture.

The question might feel unrelated in the moment, but it’s actually the bridge between the problem you see and the solution you really need.

That’s the difference between discussing a transaction and true financial planning.

04/06/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.

Looking back now, I’m very proud of how far we’ve come.

- We’ve built a planning process that’s deeper, more coordinated, and deeply personal.
- We’ve expanded our team and strengthened our network of tax, estate, and investment specialists to support clients with true 360° guidance.
- We’ve helped families make confident decisions through market swings, life transitions, and new opportunities.
- And most importantly, we’ve built a community of clients who trust us.

We're several successful years in, but I feel as though WealthClarity is just getting started.

Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this journey so far. I’m excited for what the next chapter holds.

04/03/2026

𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

The market action of the past few weeks has rattled a lot of people.
But I haven't gotten one call or email from a nervous client. I credit that to the fact that my clients feel confident in their financial and investment plan.

There's always a headline that feels urgent. The folks who stay confident aren’t the ones reacting to everything. They’re the ones who stay anchored to a plan that’s built for both the good days and the chaotic ones.

If the recent volatility has you questioning your decisions and wondering whether your plan still fits your life, I believe that’s a conversation worth having.

03/16/2026

"𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮?"

To answer that question, we need to do a deep dive into several areas including...

• How much do you spend each year and what will change in retirement?
• What are your guaranteed income sources? Social Security, pensions, annuities.
• How much have you saved and how is it invested?
• What's your withdrawal strategy? As in how will you turn your assets into income over 30+ years?
• What's been taxed and what hasn't? Is your money in Roth or pre-tax accounts?
• Oh... healthcare costs! This is hard to estimate but it is a huge consideration.
• What life expectancy are you planning for?
• What will you do in retirement? Travel? Work part-time? Spoil the grandkids ($$$)?

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 “𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱?” 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻?"

03/13/2026

Many people in their 50s and early 60s are looking for clear answers to questions like:

“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙬?”
“𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩?”
“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩?”
“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚?”
“𝙄𝙨 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝?”
“𝘼𝙢 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩?”

These aren’t just financial questions, they’re questions about stability, security, and knowing you’re making the right decisions.

If you’ve been searching online and still don’t feel any more confident, it’s probably time to bring those questions to someone who can give you real guidance based around your unique situation.

Consultations are always complimentary at WealthClarity.

03/11/2026

After close to 20 years in this business, one thing remains constant:

𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹.

When you’re proactive and organized with your financial life, you’d be surprised how much influence you actually have over your long‑term outcomes.

03/09/2026

“𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙬... 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩?”

It’s one of the most rewarding conversations we have with clients and it comes up far more often than you’d think.

Many parents want to support their kids with real‑time needs like childcare, home purchases, or supporting career transitions.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

"𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙟𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜‐𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮?"

That’s where stress‑testing the financial plan becomes invaluable. When you can clearly see that your retirement, healthcare, and lifestyle are protected, giving during your lifetime becomes a confident, joyful decision, as opposed to a risky guess.

In the comments you'll see a link to a thoughtful Kiplinger piece on this exact topic.

Address

1746 Cole Boulevard , Ste. 225
Lakewood, CO
80401

Telephone

+17206130088

Website

http://www.wealthclarity.com/

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