Rising Above the Noise

Between new tax legislation, political headlines, and ongoing market stories, it may feel like there’s a lot competing for your attention right now. In this presentation, our team seeks to help you turn down the volume, rise above the noise, and focus on what really matters for your financial life. After watching this video, we think you’ll feel more informed and confident about…

• The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”: How provisions in the bill could impact your taxes and your planning strategy

• Market Movement: How markets have performed so far this year and what’s been influencing their behavior

• What Lies Ahead: What we’ll be keeping an eye on as the rest of the year unfolds

All resources referenced in the presentation including the slides, article, and Q&A responses are available below the video. And if you’d like to continue the conversation or get more personalized guidance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

RESOURCES

• • Rising Above the Noise (PDF Slides)
  • One Big Beautiful Bill Act – Part 1

Q&A RESPONSES

• Does the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) have an impact on Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)?
  • Yes! There were some changes to some pieces of AMT and that we’ll detail more in the next TheLiveBigWay^® Digest piece on the bill. The basic update is that the higher exemption for AMT from the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 has been permanently extended, but the income phaseout thresholds have been slightly reduced back to 2018 levels and the phaseout rate has been increased (from 25% to 50% per dollar over the threshold).

• If you’re married filing jointly and one is a senior and one isn’t, how is the senior deduction calculated?
  • The deduction is based on each individual so the one senior over age 65 would qualify for the $6,000 deduction (subject to the income limitations) and the second person (under 65) would not.

• Are there any capital gains changes in the bill?
  • There weren’t any direct capital gains changes in this bill. That being said, the capital gains income brackets change each year (with inflation). There are three capital gains tax brackets – 0%, 15%, and 20% – and your capital gains will be taxed at whichever bracket(s) your income falls into. Look out for examples here in a coming TheliveBigWay^® Digest piece.

• Do the children savings accounts (Trump accounts) gain interest?
  • These accounts will have the option to invest funds within them – only in index funds – so they will perform over time as that index fund(s) performs and grow in the long run.

• When you say “cash” donation only for charity, would that include contributions from a checking or credit card account?
  • Great question! Contributions made in cash or by check/debit/credit card all count as cash contributions. Contributions of property (like stock, art, cars, clothing, etc.) do not count as cash contributions.

• Did the dollar decline during the first half of 2025 contribute to the gains in international stocks during the same time period?
  • Yes – because the investments we use to capture international stocks’ performance do not hedge against currency fluctuations, a declining dollar (relative to other foreign currencies’ respective values) provides opportunities for enhanced returns when gains realized outside of the US are converted back to dollars.