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Year-End Tax Planning Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)

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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, doesn’t reinvent the tax code it refines it. Much like its predecessor, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), it keeps many familiar provisions in play: lower rates, expanded SALT flexibility, and broader deductions. But here’s the real story: While most tax pros are busy memorizing what stayed the same, the planners who will win 2025 are the ones spotting what just became possible. OBBBA quietly opens a handful of powerful new planning windows — each one capable of delivering real, measurable savings for the right client. The key is knowing which changes are worth your time… and which are just political garnish. Below, we’ve curated the most strategic, high-impact moves to make before year-end 2025, the ones that separate the advisors who explain the law from those who leverage it. Most tax pros will stop at what changed. The smart ones will keep reading to learn how to use it.

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Student Loans After the OBBBA Part 2: Helping Clients Navigate the New Landscape

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As the federal student loan system enters a new era, advisors are tasked with helping clients navigate the practical implications of recent reforms. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has redefined borrowing limits and repayment options, creating fresh challenges for borrowers at every stage of higher education. Whether clients are weighing school choices or managing existing student debt, understanding these updates is key to providing informed financial guidance. In Part 2 of our OBBBA student loan series, we explore how these changes could play out for common borrower situations and what advisors should be aware of to confidently guide clients through the post-OBBBA student loan landscape.

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Are You a “Real Estate Dealer” or “Real Estate Investor” for Tax Purposes?

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Tax law is forever classifying people and making structures that either create benefits or disadvantages on your tax return. Part of getting the most from your return is about understanding the definitions of the IRS. Two that seem very similar but have distinctly different consequences on your taxes, are real estate dealer and real estate investor.

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An Analysis of the OBBBA’s Trump Accounts (Part 2)

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In part one of this series, I went over the basics of the new retirement accounts for minors, Trump Accounts, which were created as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Trump Accounts allow the Government, Charitable Organizations, Parents, and others to contribute to a child’s savings, usually on an after-tax basis. These accounts then transition to a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) when the child turns 18. Although the contribution limits act like non-deductible traditional IRA contributions and have a contribution limit of only $5,000 per year, they do not have the same earned income requirements that traditional IRA contributions have. This means that children are able to accumulate savings even without earned income. This article presents several scenarios to examine how Trump Accounts may play into an overall savings strategy for children.

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Another Tax-Smart Way to Save for Retirement

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Most clients are familiar with the well-known accounts to save for retirement, such as the 401(k) and IRA. Some clients might be able to supplement those with a lesser-known vehicle as well. A life insurance retirement plan (LIRP) is a type of permanent life policy with a cash value basically funded by overpaying premiums. The money can eventually be taken as a tax-free loan against the policy for anything from medical expenses and long-term care to supplemental retirement income to, for the wealthy, the payment of taxes on large estates.

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