https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/Tax, retirement, investing, and estate planning guides from a fee-only CFP® professional and Enrolled Agent in Miami.en-us https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/retiring-to-florida-checklisthttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/retiring-to-florida-checklistThu, 12 Nov 2026 12:00:00 -0400The move to Florida saves state income tax and changes a dozen other things: the homestead exemption, property and flood insurance, the estate plan that was drafted under another state's law, the timing of income around the move, and the documents that prove you actually left. The checklist we use with clients relocating here.Retirement income https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/deferred-compensation-planshttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/deferred-compensation-plansTue, 10 Nov 2026 12:00:00 -0400A nonqualified deferred compensation plan lets an executive push salary and bonus into future years, deferring tax and often landing the income in a lower bracket in retirement. It also makes the executive an unsecured creditor of the employer, and the elections are locked a year in advance. How to decide how much to defer and when to take it.Equity compensation https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/senior-deduction-2026https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/senior-deduction-2026Sun, 08 Nov 2026 12:00:00 -0400The One Big Beautiful Bill Act created a $6,000 deduction per person for taxpayers 65 and older, available for 2025 through 2028 whether or not you itemize, and phased out above $75,000 of income for singles and $150,000 for couples. Who qualifies, how it interacts with Social Security taxation, and how Roth conversions and gains can cost it.Tax planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/homeowners-insurance-florida-reviewhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/homeowners-insurance-florida-reviewFri, 06 Nov 2026 12:00:00 -0400Florida homeowners policies have deductibles, exclusions, and limits that most owners have never read, and the cost of the policy has made cutting coverage tempting. What to check in the declarations page, which gaps matter for a wealthy household, and where the premium can be reduced without taking on the wrong risk.Risk and insurance https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/virtual-financial-advisor-how-it-workshttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/virtual-financial-advisor-how-it-worksWed, 04 Nov 2026 12:00:00 -0400A virtual advisory relationship runs on video meetings, a shared planning portal, secure document exchange, and a custodian that holds the accounts. What the first ninety days look like, how meetings and questions happen after that, and what a client gives up and gains compared with an office down the street.How we work https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/trust-for-adult-childrenhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/trust-for-adult-childrenMon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:00 -0400A large inheritance left outright to a 45-year-old is simple and usually fine. Left in trust, it is protected from divorce, creditors, and the child's own mistakes, at the cost of complexity. How to decide, and the middle-ground designs that give protection without control from the grave.Estate planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/cash-management-high-yieldhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/cash-management-high-yieldSat, 31 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Cash earning nothing at a bank is a choice, and so is holding too much of it. How much cash a household should hold at each stage, where to keep it so it earns a market rate, and the tax and safety details that decide between a money market fund, Treasury bills, and a high-yield savings account.Investment management https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/term-vs-whole-lifehttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/term-vs-whole-lifeThu, 29 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Term insurance covers a need that ends; whole life covers a need that does not. Most households have the first kind of need, and the second kind of policy is sold to them anyway. How to tell which you have, what each costs, and the narrow cases where permanent coverage earns its premium.Risk and insurance https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/roth-conversion-ladder-early-retirementhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/roth-conversion-ladder-early-retirementTue, 27 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Retire at 50 with most of your savings in a 401(k) and the money is locked behind a 10 percent penalty until 59½. A Roth conversion ladder converts a slice each year and withdraws it penalty-free five years later, turning a retirement account into an early-retirement income stream at low tax rates.Tax planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/financial-planning-miamihttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/financial-planning-miamiSun, 25 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Miami households have a particular set of planning questions: no state income tax and what to do with it, homeowners and flood insurance that cost more than the mortgage, family across borders, and a wealth mix heavy in real estate and business interests. What a fee-only planner in Coconut Grove hears first, and how we answer.How we work https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/rsu-vs-stock-optionshttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/rsu-vs-stock-optionsFri, 23 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400An RSU is worth something at any stock price; an option is worth nothing unless the stock rises past the strike. That difference decides how to value an offer, how much risk you are taking, and how to plan the taxes. A guide for anyone comparing grants or negotiating one.Equity compensation https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/digital-assets-estate-planhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/digital-assets-estate-planWed, 21 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400A modern estate includes email, cloud storage, crypto wallets, online brokerage logins, domain names, and photo libraries that no one but the owner can reach. Florida law lets you authorize access; the documents and the inventory are what make it usable.Estate planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/retirement-income-plan-examplehttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/retirement-income-plan-exampleMon, 19 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400A retirement income plan is not a number or a withdrawal rate. It is a year-by-year map of where every dollar of spending comes from, what tax it carries, and what happens if markets or lifespans differ from the assumptions. Here is the one we build, using an illustrative couple.Retirement income https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/international-stocks-worth-ithttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/international-stocks-worth-itSat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400U.S. stocks have beaten the rest of the world for most of the last fifteen years, and every strong run raises the same question. The case for owning international stock.Investment management https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/tax-planning-checklist-year-endhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/tax-planning-checklist-year-endThu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Most of what reduces a tax bill has to happen before December 31, and most of it requires a projection to size. The list we run for every client each fall, in the order that matters, with the 2026 figures.Tax planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/529-plan-floridahttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/529-plan-floridaTue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Florida has no state income tax, so the usual reason to pick the home state's 529 does not apply, and Florida families can choose any plan in the country. Florida Prepaid versus a savings plan, the 2025 law changes that expanded what 529 money can buy, and the $35,000 Roth escape hatch.Tax planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/medicare-enrollment-mistakeshttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/medicare-enrollment-mistakesSun, 11 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Medicare has enrollment windows that do not forgive. Missing Part B carries a permanent 10 percent premium penalty per year of delay, HSA contributions become illegal six months before enrollment, and the Medigap guaranteed-issue window closes after six months. The calendar that avoids all of it.Retirement income https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/financial-planning-for-physicianshttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/financial-planning-for-physiciansFri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Physicians start earning in their mid-thirties, often with six figures of student debt, and then earn at a level that puts them in the top brackets for the rest of their careers. The plan has to make up for the late start without the mistakes the profession is known for.How we work https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/disability-insurance-high-earnershttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/disability-insurance-high-earnersWed, 07 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400Employer disability plans replace 60% of salary up to a cap, before tax, with bonuses and equity excluded. For a household earning $400,000, the real replacement rate can be 25%. What the group plan actually pays, and how an individual policy fills the gap.Risk and insurance https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/financial-planning-business-ownershttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/financial-planning-business-ownersMon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400A business owner's plan has problems an employee's does not: most of the net worth is in one illiquid asset, the tax return and the business are entangled, and the retirement plan is something the owner has to build. How we approach the three decisions that matter most.How we work https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/irrevocable-life-insurance-trusthttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/irrevocable-life-insurance-trustSat, 03 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400An ILIT keeps life insurance proceeds out of the taxable estate and controls how they are used. With a $15 million exemption, most families no longer need one for tax, and many existing ILITs are now maintenance for no benefit. Who still needs one, and what to do with one you already have.Estate planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/portability-election-form-706https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/portability-election-form-706Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:00 -0400A deceased spouse's unused estate tax exemption, up to $15 million in 2026, transfers to the survivor only if an estate tax return is filed. Most estates owe nothing and skip the return, and the exemption is lost. When to file, what it costs, and the five-year window if you missed it.Estate planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/life-insurance-in-retirementhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/life-insurance-in-retirementTue, 29 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400Life insurance replaces income that stops at death. In retirement the income has already stopped, so the question changes: what would a survivor lose, and is a policy the cheapest way to cover it? For most retirees the answer is no, with four exceptions.Risk and insurance https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/s-corp-owner-salaryhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/s-corp-owner-salarySun, 27 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400In an S corporation, the salary you pay yourself sets payroll tax, the solo 401(k) ceiling and the section 199A deduction at once. An interactive 2026 model follows four salary levels for one fictional owner.Tax planning https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/annuities-fee-only-viewhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/annuities-fee-only-viewSun, 27 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400An annuity is a contract with an insurer, and the word covers products that range from a simple income guarantee to an expensive, opaque investment wrapper. How to tell them apart, which ones have a place in a plan, and why we sell none of them.Risk and insurance https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/social-security-spousal-survivorhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/social-security-spousal-survivorFri, 25 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400A spouse can get up to half the other spouse's full benefit; a widow or widower gets the higher earner's benefit, delayed credits included. It changes the plan.Retirement income https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/retirement-tax-torpedohttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/retirement-tax-torpedoWed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400In a specific income range, every dollar you take from an IRA pulls more of your Social Security into taxable income, and the effective tax rate on that dollar can reach 40 percent. Where the torpedo sits, who it hits, and the three ways around it.Retirement income https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/pension-lump-sum-vs-annuityhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/pension-lump-sum-vs-annuityMon, 21 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400A lump sum offer is a price for your pension. Whether it is a good price depends on interest rates, your health, your spouse, and what else you own. The comparison, done properly.Retirement income https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/long-term-care-insurance-worth-ithttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/long-term-care-insurance-worth-itSat, 19 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400Roughly half of people turning 65 will need some paid long-term care, and the cost in South Florida runs past $100,000 a year for a private room. Whether to insure, self-fund, or use a hybrid policy, from a fee-only perspective.Risk and insurance https://valerio-wealth.com/blog/espp-tax-strategyhttps://valerio-wealth.com/blog/espp-tax-strategyThu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 -0400A qualified ESPP lets you buy company stock at at up to a 15% discount, often with a lookback that makes the real discount larger. How the tax works on a quick sale versus a qualifying hold, and why the quick sale usually wins.Equity compensation