New Stage Investment Group

01/09/2026

01/08/2026

What are Wall Street’s best and brightest looking for in 2026? If you toss out the highest and lowest, you can see that the other forecasts settle into a pretty tight range for the year. What the table doesn’t show is that there will be highs and lows during the year. There will be times when stock prices look invincible. And there will be times when you wonder why you invest in stocks at all.

12/31/2025

Your Official New Year’s Eve Checklist:

Champagne? ✔️
Snacks? ✔️
Good company? ✔️
Bottle of water on standby? ✔️✔️
Resolutions? Optional.
Enjoying the moment? Required.

Happy New Year! 🎉🥂

12/25/2025

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas.

12/22/2025

“I’ll Do It in January.”

Possibly the most universally accepted financial planning strategy of December.

By now, many of us have officially entered the holiday headspace where every important-but-not-urgent task gets pushed to Future Me.

And honestly? That’s completely understandable.
This week is about family, food, and finding the last roll of wrapping paper—not Roth IRAs.

So instead of stressing about what didn’t get done in 2025, here’s a simple and realistic list to revisit in January—when routines return and you’re ready to tackle the new year!

10 Things to Kick off your planning for 2026
1. Review retirement contributions and set 2026 savings goals.
2. Check your investment allocations (they likely drifted this year).
3. Look at upcoming RMDs or Social Security timing.
4. Refresh your monthly expense plan for the new year.
5. Do a quick insurance review — life, disability, long-term care.
6. Update or create your household “financial binder” (accounts, documents, contacts).
7. Check on cash reserves — emergency fund and savings buckets.
8. Review tax items — 1099s, realized gains/losses, withholding.
9. Revisit your big-picture goals — retirement timeline, lifestyle plans, travel.
10. Schedule your annual financial review (this one is the easiest 😉).

If any of these are still sitting on your “I’ll get to it” list… great.
January is the perfect time to knock them out quickly and set the tone for the year ahead.

Until then—enjoy the holidays, recharge, and don’t feel guilty about hitting pause.

Happy Holidays,
Hans

12/17/2025

The IRS has released the 2026 contribution limits for workplace retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, most 457 plans, and the federal Thrift Savings Plan.

Here’s what’s changing:
▪️Employee contribution limit: $24,500 for 2026 (up from $23,500 in 2025)
▪️Catch-up contribution (age 50+): $8,000 for 2026
▪️Special catch-up (age 60–63): $11,250, unchanged from last year

These annual adjustments reflect updated IRS thresholds and may influence how individuals approach their savings goals for the upcoming year.


Source:

The IRS has announced higher 401(k) contribution limits for 2026. Here’s what savers need to know.

12/10/2025

Before the year gets away from us, here are a few questions with December 31 deadlines:

1️⃣ Have I taken my IRA Required Minimum Distribution?
2️⃣ Have I finished any charitable gifts I want counted for this tax year?
3️⃣ Should I harvest any losses in my taxable accounts?
4️⃣ Do I need to use any remaining FSA dollars?
5️⃣ Does a Roth conversion make sense for me this year?

A quick, simple check can make a real difference—before the countdown hits zero.

12/02/2025

Most people focus on what to invest in or worry about what the market will do next.

But an often overlooked small tactic that can help drive better long term returns - is how to manage your taxable accounts—especially at year-end.

Quick example:
Recently walked a client through their year end review. We discussed the markets and economy, their portfolios both taxable and tax advantaged. I highlighed a fund that was temporarily down. But instead of ignoring it, we used a strategy many overlook:

👉 Tax-loss harvesting.

We sold the position, captured the loss for taxes, and bought a similar (but not too similar) investment so he stayed fully invested.

✔️Not complicated.
✔️Reduces taxes.
✔️A Small and smart move that reduce your tax bill—money that usually slips through the cracks.

If you’re unsure whether your taxable accounts have opportunities before year-end, it might be worth a quick look.

12/01/2025

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2026 Medicare Part A and Part B premiums and deductibles for the upcoming year.

Here’s a look at the new figures:
▪️ Part B premium: $202.90 per month (previously $185)
▪️ Part B deductible: $283 (previously $257) before Original Medicare begins covering services.
▪️ Part A inpatient deductible: $1,792 (previously $1,676)

These updates take effect in January and reflect the latest adjustments from CMS. Individuals enrolled in Medicare may notice changes in their monthly costs or coverage details for the upcoming year.



Source:
CNBC, November 17, 2025

11/30/2025

There is always something to worry about when investing. In fact, there’s even a saying about it. “Wall Street climbs a wall of worry.” Some people believe, “I’ll wait until it all gets resolved.” But remember, those were the same people who in the Spring suggested, “I’m going to the sidelines until the tariff issue gets resolved.” Since May, stock prices have advanced for six consecutive months, despite unresolved tariff issues.

11/25/2025

🥧 “Pumpkin Pie Balls and Thanksgiving Messes”

I watched a YouTube short the other night about how to make “pumpkin pie balls.”

Step one? Take a perfectly good pumpkin pie… and smash it with your hand. 🥴
Then scoop it into bite-sized pieces, top with whipped cream, maybe drizzle a little caramel — and suddenly it’s dessert reinvented.

It got me thinking about Thanksgiving and family gatherings. They can be messy, too. Plans get rearranged, conversations get loud, and sometimes the day looks a little different than the picture-perfect version we imagined.

But when you take it all in — the laughter, the small moments, the whipped cream and caramel drizzle that make it sweet — you realize the mess is what makes it memorable.

Wishing you a wonderful (and perfectly imperfect) Thanksgiving. 🥧🍂

11/18/2025

🌴 “From Texas to Washington… and Maybe California?”

I recently caught up with a financial services colleague who moved from Texas to Washington — and now he’s considering California.

His first question to me, as someone who lives and works here:
“What’s it really like when it comes to cost of living and taxes?”

Fair question.

Imagine moving from two states with no income tax to one with some of the highest in the country — all while starting a family.

We talked about everything from housing costs to saving for college. But what stood out most was his concern about taxes — how to prepare, how to plan, and how to be smart about it.

That’s where the difference between tax planning and tax filing really shows up.

👉 Tax filing looks backward — it’s about reporting what already happened. ( this is what you do in each year to keep the IRS happy )

👉 Tax planning looks forward — it’s about what you can still do this year to improve next year’s outcome. ( this is what you should be doing to keep yourself happy)

As we head into the final stretch of the year, it’s a great time to look ahead and make adjustments that can actually make a difference. Not sure what to do - give me a call.

That’s the value of planning — not just reporting.

💼📊