Apprise Wealth Management

05/29/2026

One of the most overlooked questions related to charitable giving is not how much to give.

It is where the gift should come from.

Sometimes cash is perfectly fine. Sometimes appreciated stock deserves a closer look. Sometimes an IRA is a better place to start.

The charity may receive the same support either way. The donor’s tax result may not be the same.

Read more here: https://apprisewealth.com/news/where-should-your-charitable-gift-come-from/

Should your charitable gift come from cash, appreciated stock, or a qualified charitable distribution? The source can change your tax result.

05/26/2026

A charity may receive the same gift either way.

That does not mean the donor’s tax result will be the same.

Many people give from the easiest place without ever asking whether cash, appreciated stock, or an IRA might make more sense.

Not every gift needs to be optimized.

But this is a question worth asking at least once.

I wrote about it here:

Should your charitable gift come from cash, appreciated stock, or a qualified charitable distribution? The source can change your tax result.

05/22/2026

The Roth conversion question is not really, “Should I do one?”

A better question is this:

What future tax problem am I trying to solve?

That shift matters. Why? Because a Roth conversion can help in the right situation, but it can also create a tax bill that solves very little.

I wrote about the difference here: https://apprisewealth.com/news/when-a-roth-conversion-helps-and-when-it-doesnt/

A Roth conversion can help, but not always. A Roth conversion may reduce future tax pressure; it also may not. Learn about what factors to consider.

05/19/2026

A Roth conversion can be smart.

It can also be expensive.

The mistake is not always doing one. Sometimes the mistake is waiting too long to notice that a future tax problem may be building inside pre-tax accounts.

That can mean more required distributions later, less flexibility, and more pressure on a surviving spouse.

I wrote about when a Roth conversion helps. And when it doesn’t.

Take a closer look here:

A Roth conversion can help, but not always. A Roth conversion may reduce future tax pressure; it also may not. Learn about what factors to consider.

05/15/2026

One of the easiest tax mistakes to make is waiting too long.

That can matter even more in a year when some deductions may help less broadly than people expect, and some income may cost more than it appears.

I wrote about the 2026 tax changes I think deserve the closest attention first.

Read what most people miss: https://apprisewealth.com/news/2026-tax-changes-what-actually-matters/

The 2026 tax changes that matter most. SALT, the senior deduction, charitable limits, and the planning decisions many people miss.

05/13/2026

So proud to finally announce the pre-order launch of Even More Than Money!

This was a massive team effort with my community at and other industry advisors, inspired by the real-life conversations I have with my clients every day. It's all about using your money to maximize your life, not just your returns.

Check out my chapter!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/even-more-than-money-justin-castelli/1148470455

05/12/2026

Too often, taxes get our attention at the wrong time.

By the time year-end arrives, many of the best planning opportunities are already narrowing. By the time tax documents show up, you have already made many of the most important decisions.

A few 2026 tax changes deserve a closer look now, especially if you are retired, nearing retirement, or going through a major life transition.

I wrote about what stands out and what many people may miss.

See how this applies to your situation:

The 2026 tax changes that matter most. SALT, the senior deduction, charitable limits, and the planning decisions many people miss.

05/05/2026

A transition not only changes the facts.

It changes the questions.

Who do I trust now?
What still matters?
What needs attention?
What no longer fits?

That was the part of this year’s Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting that stood out most to me.

With Greg Abel leading the meeting for the first time as CEO, Berkshire entered a new chapter. The familiar voices were no longer leading the conversation in the same way.

That kind of change reveals something.

It reveals culture.
It reveals values.
It reveals whether the structure still supports the purpose.

That lesson applies far beyond Berkshire.

It applies after retirement, divorce, widowhood, career change, the sale of a business, or any major life transition.

In this week’s blog, I share 10 lessons from Berkshire’s new beginning about stewardship, patience, reputation, trust, saying no, and using capital wisely.

The 2026 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting revealed lessons about transition, stewardship, reputation, and life planning.

05/01/2026

One of the biggest Social Security mistakes a widow can make is filing for benefits too quickly.

Not because benefits do not matter. They do. But the rules may allow more flexibility than people realize.

This week’s post looks at what widows often miss about survivor benefits, switching options later, remarriage, and timing.

https://apprisewealth.com/news/social-security-survivor-benefits/

Social Security survivor benefits follow different rules than retirement benefits. Learn what widows should review before filing.

04/28/2026

Many widows assume the next step related to claiming Social Security benefits is obvious.

Often, it is not.

Survivor benefits follow different rules than retirement benefits, and the first option available is not always the one that best fits the rest of your financial life.

This week’s post looks at what widows should review before filing.

Social Security survivor benefits follow different rules than retirement benefits. Learn what widows should review before filing.

04/24/2026

The biggest mistake with Social Security after divorce is not just missing one rule.

It assumes that all the rules work the same way.

They do not.

Divorced-spouse benefits, surviving divorced-spouse benefits, remarriage rules, and the 10-year threshold can create very different answers.

This week’s post looks at what to review before you assume you already know yours.

https://apprisewealth.com/news/social-security-after-divorce/

Social Security after divorce is more complicated than many women realize. Learn what to review before you claim.