Tannery Company

02/20/2026

Trump Accounts aren’t just for newborns.

They’re for parents who refuse to be financial zombies.

You can ignore the opportunity. You can wait. You can debate policy over bad coffee and worse opinions.

Or…

You can fund the future.

Because while everyone else is arguing about headlines, smart families are quietly compounding.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about power.

The power of starting early.

The power of tax advantage.

The power of being intentional instead of reactive.

Most people will read this and scroll.

A few will act.

The difference between those two groups?

Twenty years and a whole lot of zeros.

https://tannerycompany.com/financial-planning/trump-accounts-arent-just-for-newborns/

02/19/2026

What aren’t you thinking about yet—simply because no one’s brought it up?
That question shows up all the time in our office.

For decades, families who wanted to plan early for their kids ran into the same wall:
No earned income meant no Roth IRA.
Even newborns with very motivated parents had to wait 16 years to start.

That just changed.

A new IRS-created account (formally Section 530A accounts, informally Trump Accounts) allows families to start building tax-advantaged wealth from birth—no earned income required.

But the real opportunity happens at age 18, when the account can be converted to a Roth IRA—often during a low-income window when the tax impact can be minimal if it’s planned correctly.

Same rate of return.
Less money invested.
More years of compounding doing the heavy lifting.

This strategy only applies to children born between 2025–2028, and can start with your 2025 tax return.

Obviously, this isn't something everyone can take advantage of. But that's not the point.

Good planning isn’t about chasing every new rule—it’s about knowing which ones belong in your bigger picture.

Which brings us back to the real question:
What else aren’t you thinking about yet—simply because no one’s brought it up?

🔗 Full breakdown here: https://lnkd.in/gVTdKweN

Filing a return is easy.
Building a strategy takes someone willing to ask the earlier questions.

01/16/2026

A lot of people feel good about their 401(k) because they are “maxing it out.”

But maxing out doesn’t always mean it’s set up well.

Most of the issues we see are not mistakes or bad decisions. They are small details no one ever pointed out. Contribution timing. Employer match rules. Plan quirks. Investment fees. Things that matter over time.

We wrote today’s blog to help people slow down and ask a few simple questions before another year runs on autopilot.

If you’re contributing to a 401(k) and haven’t looked at how it’s actually structured in a while, this is worth a read.

Most professionals believe they’re doing everything right with their 401(k).

01/15/2026

Estimated Taxes Without the Panic

Estimated taxes don’t hurt because they exist.
They hurt because they’re ignored.

If you’re a high earner, business owner, or paid outside of payroll, Q1 is your warning shot—not your punishment.

One simple habit changes everything:
Treat estimated taxes like a monthly expense, not a quarterly surprise.

Set aside cash as income comes in.
Keep it separate.
Don’t “borrow” from it and promise to fix it later.

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s predictability.

Stress comes from uncertainty.
Planning creates margin.

Quarterly deadlines shouldn’t feel dramatic if the system is already working.

01/09/2026

January has a way of feeling calm.
Nothing feels broken yet. Nothing feels urgent.

And that’s exactly why Q1 matters more than most people think.

In today’s blog, Cooper breaks down why many of the tax issues people feel later in the year aren’t caused by bad decisions—they’re caused by decisions that quietly get postponed when things feel fine.

By the time pressure shows up, the easy options are usually gone.

If you like planning before deadlines (instead of reacting to them), this is a good read as the year gets underway.

Hey, Cooper here.

01/08/2026

January feels like a fresh start, but most financial stress doesn’t come from last year’s mistakes.

It comes from not making decisions early enough this year.

Q1 is when planning has the most leverage.

Not because everything is due now, but because your best options disappear later.

Before the month gets busy, ask yourself:

What income do I expect this year?
What decisions will I regret not planning for by March?
Where do I need margin before the year fills up?

Good planning isn’t reactive.

It’s quiet, intentional, and done early—when you still have choices.

Q1 sets the tone.

Don’t wait until the deadline forces your hand.

12/29/2025

The gifts have been unwrapped.
The receipts are shoved in a drawer.

But something else lingers after the holidays.

Whether we realize it or not, our kids are learning about money every single day—long before their first paycheck or credit card.

Not from apps.
Not from school.
From us.

They’re watching how we handle stress, how we talk (or don’t talk) about money, how we give, save, and make decisions when things feel tight—or abundant.

That becomes their “normal.”

In last Friday’s blog, Michael reflected on the money story families pass down without meaning to, and how easy it is to shape a better one with intention, not perfection.

If you’re a parent, this is worth a few minutes of your time.

Your kids aren’t learning money from TikTok—they’re downloading your unspoken beliefs and daily habits, so the story you live today becomes the financial DNA they’ll carry for life.

12/16/2025

End-of-year bonuses and business payouts can make December feel exciting—and dangerous.

Without a plan, those dollars vanish into “holiday spending mode” before the check even clears.

Decide now how you’ll allocate your windfall. A simple rule:

50% to savings or investment
30% to fun or gifts
20% to debt or upcoming expenses

That way, you enjoy it without guilt and use it to move your financial goals forward.

Money without a plan disappears. Money with a purpose multiplies.

12/09/2025

Gifting Stock Beats Gifting Cash

Looking for a smarter way to help family this season? Gifting appreciated stock can be a win-win.

Here’s why: when you gift stock that’s gone up in value, you avoid paying capital gains tax—and your loved one receives the full value. They can sell, diversify, or hold it long-term with a fresh start on a cost basis.

It’s generosity with a built-in strategy, and it works beautifully for kids, grandkids, or charitable gifts.

If you’ve been sitting on gains, this could be the perfect year-end move that gives twice: to your family and to your future tax return.

12/05/2025

Most tax surprises don’t come from what happened last year.

They come from missing paperwork.

Even our most organized clients are shocked to learn how much strategy is hidden inside documents they didn’t even know mattered—basis schedules, K-1 trails, equity comp forms, HSA records, real estate improvements, and more.

Today’s article breaks down the hidden tax documents that have the biggest impact on high earners and how to get ahead of them before filing season.

If you’ve ever sworn “This is the year I’ll be organized,” this is your guide.

High earners often miss crucial tax documents. Learn how strategic organization can unlock deductions, optimize planning, and lower your tax bill.

12/02/2025

Something to think about this holiday season...

“Buy Now, Pay Later” can feel like a gift from future-you—until future-you gets the bill.

Before you split a purchase into payments, ask one simple question: Could I pay the full amount today without stress?

If the honest answer is no, stretching it over weeks or months doesn’t make it more affordable—it just delays the decision.

Financial stability starts with margin, not microloans.

This is especially true during the holidays. There’s a world of difference between saving January through October and walking into December with money set aside—versus paying January through March for last year’s spending.

The feeling of “it’s already paid for” is far better than the feeling of catching up.

If you do choose BNPL, only use it when the offer includes zero interest, and keep your system tight.

Use one provider, set a limit, turn on autopay, and track it like any other debt.

Discipline is the new discount.

11/17/2025

50-year mortgages? Let’s talk about it.

A new proposal claims we can “fix” housing affordability by stretching mortgages from 30 years to 50.

Smaller monthly payments? Sure.
But at what cost?

A 50-year mortgage slows your equity, increases your total interest dramatically, and in many cases, passes debt right into the next generation. That’s not financial planning. And it’s certainly not the Financial Olympian mindset.

Financial Olympians build wealth that outlives them. They don’t lock themselves into half a century of payments.

We broke it down: the pros, the cons, and our take as planners who prioritize real long-term freedom.

Read the full breakdown here: https://tannerycompany.com/life/is-the-proposed-50-year-mortgage-a-good-idea/

Policymakers are proposing a 50-year mortgage. Before you buy the headline, here’s what ultra-long loans could mean for equity, wealth, and your long-term plan.