SmartAsset

SmartAsset is a website dedicated to providing consumers with valuable financial information and guidance. It also features SmartAdvisor, a nationwide platform that links individuals with financial advisors.

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Articles

We Will Make $360k Combined This Year. Can We Use a Backdoor Roth Strategy to Reduce Our Taxes?

2 days ago | smartasset.com | Eric Reed

A backdoor Roth can sometimes be a good idea. The government puts income limits on who can contribute to a Roth IRA portfolio. In 2025, these limits are set at $165,000 for single filers, and $246,000 for joint filers. If you’re above this cap, you cannot contribute money to a Roth IRA. However, there is no income limit on converting money to a Roth IRA.
I Want to Give Money to My Son and His Wife. How Much Can I Give Without Triggering Taxes?

3 days ago | smartasset.com | Eric Reed

Let’s say that you would like to give money to your son and his wife. How much can you give them without triggering the gift tax? There are two answers to that. First, each year you can give them up to $19,000 without reporting the gift to the IRS. Second, in addition to this annual giving, you can give them up to $13.99 million over the course of your lifetime without paying taxes. These numbers represent the 2025 limits. Here’s what to know and how it might change over time.
How to Target Specific Client Asset Amounts as a Financial Advisor

1 week ago | smartasset.com | Rebecca Lake

Increasing assets under management (AUM) is a common goal for growth-focused advisors. You may know, however, that building a book of business is sometimes easier said than done. Niching down to focus on clients in a particular asset range is one way to counter the challenges of growing in a competitive market. Here’s how to get more clients and help boost your AUM.
Best Housing Markets for First-Time Homebuyers - 2025 Study

1 week ago | smartasset.com | Jaclyn DeJohn

Affordability is just one component of buying a new home. Hopeful first-time homebuyers would be prudent to consider the competitive landscape, lifestyle, social and future growth potential of their home. Taking on such a large investment, particularly when the costs of homeownership may outpace the costs of renting in some places, requires planning ahead in terms of your career and family, as well as your budget.
What Tax Bracket Does It Make Sense to Start Converting Traditional IRA to a Roth?

1 week ago | smartasset.com | Mark Henricks

Your current tax bracket is an important consideration when evaluating whether to convert a tax-deferred retirement account to a Roth account. However, it’s just one of several elements to keep in mind. For example, your tax bracket in retirement is just as important as the one you’re in now. If you’re in a lower tax bracket after retirement, as is often the case, conversion may be an expensive move.
Social Security and Retirement Income Are Highest in These Cities - 2025 Study

2 weeks ago | smartasset.com | Jaclyn DeJohn

According to the Social Security Administration, the average annual retirement benefit nationwide is just shy of $24,000. Meanwhile, supplemental income from designated retirement accounts, such as a pension, 401(k), 403(b), or Roth or traditional IRA, averages just over an additional $30,000 annually for retirees across U.S. cities. A combined average of about $54,000 puts many retirees well below the national median household income of $80,610.
How Much Would I Have Now if I Invest $1,000 in $NVDA During the 2020 Stock Market Crash?

2 weeks ago | smartasset.com | Eric Reed

An investor who “buys the dip” might take advantage of market volatility or short-term events to ideally get a better return on investments. While timing the market and individual equity investments have their own risks, buying the dip can be a good way to invest in good assets while they’ve temporarily lost value. For example, in early 2020, the stock market took significant losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. This pulled down the value of almost all equities.
Ask an Advisor: We Own Millions in Real Estate Through Self-Directed IRAs. How Do We Transfer it to Our Sons?

2 weeks ago | smartasset.com | Brandon Renfro

My wife and I own five senior homes in our self-directed IRAs. How do we transfer them to our two sons after we die? Under the new IRS rules it appears that the boys have only 10 years to take the money out. The houses are worth about $1.75 to $2 million in total now. – JackYes, you are correct that most non-spouse beneficiaries are now required to withdraw the entire value of an inherited IRA within 10 years.
Where to Find Coaching as a Financial Advisor

3 weeks ago | smartasset.com | Rebecca Lake

You want to scale your business and become the advisor prospective clients line up for, but you’re unsure how to achieve your goals. Maybe you’ve heard about coaching for financial advisors, and are wondering how it may benefit you. Coaching can help you clarify your business objectives, position your firm to attract and retain more clients, and achieve a better work-life balance. The key is finding the right coach to work with.
How to Get Estate Planning Clients as a Financial Advisor

3 weeks ago | smartasset.com | Rebecca Lake

Adding estate planning to your slate of services can be an effective way to scale your business. Not only is it possible to provide more value to your existing clients, you may attract new ones to your firm, as well. A variety of possibilities exist when it comes to how to get estate planning clients to flock to your firm. Add new clients and AUM at your desired pace with SmartAsset’s Advisor Marketing Platform. Sign up for a free demo today. Client acquisition is a challenge for many advisors.