MFAC BLOG

Most people know the basic rule: withdraw from your 401(k) before age 59½ and you'll owe a 10% early withdrawal penalty on top of income taxes. What fewer people know is that an exception exists for workers who leave their employer at 55 or later. It's called the Rule of 55, and for people in that narrow age window, allows them to tap 401(k) assets and sidestep the 10% penalty. What the Rule Actually Says The mechanics are straightforward. If you separate from your employer d

You've been contributing to your 401(k) for decades, and now that retirement is approaching, one of the first decisions you'll need to make is what to do with it. You know you should probably do something, but you're not entirely sure what, and you definitely don't want to trigger a tax bill by making the wrong move. The good news is that in most cases, a 401(k) rollover doesn't have to be taxable at all. But how you handle it matters more than most people realize, and the fi

Turning embedded gains into charitable impact—without handing the IRS a windfall With major stock market indices sitting near historic highs, many investors find themselves with substantial unrealized capital gains in their taxable brokerage accounts. That’s a great position to be in—but it also creates a tax problem. Sell those shares for any reason, and you’ll likely owe capital gains taxes that can eat 15% to 23.8% of the appreciation, depending on your income (not includi

A practical framework for tackling the biggest fear in retirement planning If there’s one question that keeps pre-retirees up at night, it’s this: will my money last? It’s not an irrational fear. People are living longer, healthcare costs are rising, and markets don’t move in a straight line. The good news is that outliving your assets isn’t an inevitability — it’s a risk that can be managed, measured, and in many cases, significantly reduced. The key is knowing which questio

The questions you need to answer before you walk out the door Retirement feels like a single moment — the last day of work, the first Monday morning with nowhere to be. But the financial reality is that retirement is a series of interconnected decisions, and most of them need to be made before you leave your employer. Miss one, and it can cost you real money for years. This guide walks through the major issues to consider before you retire, organized into six categories: cash

Understanding the Mechanics—and Why the Claiming Decision Deserves Real Attention For most Americans, Social Security is the cornerstone of retirement income. It’s the one thing nearly everyone counts on—a monthly deposit that arrives once you stop working. And because it feels automatic, it’s easy to assume the decision around it is simple, too: pick an age, file the paperwork, and move on. But the reality is far more nuanced than that. When you choose to claim Social Securi

If there’s one expense category that has a way of catching retirees off guard, it’s healthcare. Costs rise faster than general inflation, needs become harder to predict with age, and a single significant health event can put real pressure on even a well-constructed plan. Yet too often, healthcare is treated as an afterthought—something to figure out when the time comes. What replaces that anxiety is a concrete plan—one that maps out likely costs, models their impact on your s

Retirement isn't just a finish line—it's a transition into a new phase of life where financial decisions take on a different tone. You've spent decades saving, investing, and preparing. Now the question becomes: How do I turn what I've built into a paycheck I can count on? In this post, I'll walk you through the approach I use to help create a retirement paycheck that's sustainable, flexible, and—most importantly—something you can actually feel good about spending. Why a Payc

As we conclude “Your First Year of High-Net-Worth Financial Planning,” this final installment brings together the essential components...

In today’s competitive job market, equity compensation has become an increasingly key component of total compensation packages,...