Some financial-planning opportunities can wait until you file your tax return. Others disappear when the calendar turns to January.

In Episode 45 of The Decision Dividend, Marcus Schafer is joined by Tim Daly, CFP®, CPA, TPCP® to discuss the year-end decisions investors should evaluate before December 31. Rather than focusing only on reducing this year’s taxes, the conversation examines how today’s choices can affect your lifetime tax bill.

You’ll learn:

• How to identify the year-end moves that fit your situation, including Roth conversions, realizing investment gains or losses, charitable giving, retirement contributions, and annual gifts.
• Why your marginal tax rate may be more complicated than the bracket shown on a tax table, particularly when deductions, capital-gains rates, Medicare premiums, and other phaseouts interact.
• How a year-end tax projection can help coordinate your income, deductions, withholding, and estimated payments before important deadlines pass.

Chapters

00:00 Year-End Decisions to Make Before December 31

01:54 Tax Planning vs. Tax Preparation

04:18 What Changed for 2026 Tax Planning

05:43 The Hidden Tax Rates Created by Phaseouts

13:07 New Charitable-Giving Decisions for 2026

17:31 Harvesting Losses and Gains

31:02 When a Roth Conversion Makes Sense

35:00 Annual Gifts Before Year-End

36:21 Retirement Contribution Limits and QCDs

39:08 Required Minimum Distributions

40:19 Withholding, Estimated Payments, and Tax Penalties

42:48 Why You Should Not Wait Until December 31

45:16 Focus on Your Lifetime Tax Bill

If charitable giving is part of your year-end planning, our previous episode, Advanced Charitable Giving Strategies, takes a deeper look at how to give more effectively, including strategies that can help align your generosity with your tax, investment, and legacy goals.

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Disclosure

Information contained herein has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. It is not intended as the primary basis for financial planning or investment decisions and should not be construed as advice meeting the particular investment needs of any investor. This material has been prepared for information purposes only and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This material is not tax or legal advice. Consult qualified tax and legal professionals before implementing a year-end planning strategy.

Giving starts with a cause you care about. But once you decide to give, another question follows: What is the most effective way to do it? Writing a check may be the simplest option, but it is not always the most effective.

In Episode 44 of The Decision Dividend, Pat Collins and Marcus Schafer continue their conversation on intentional philanthropy by exploring the financial-planning and tax considerations behind charitable giving.

• How to choose the right giving strategy based on your goals, tax situation, and stage of life.
• Ways to make charitable dollars go further, from appreciated investments and donor-advised funds to qualified charitable distributions.
• When advanced planning strategies may make sense for families focused on legacy, estate planning, and long-term impact.

The goal is not simply to reduce taxes. It is to coordinate your giving with your investments, income, estate plan, and the impact you want your charitable dollars to have.

If giving is part of your plan, this episode can help you understand the options and ask better questions before you act.

Chapters

00:00 From the “Why” to the “How” of Charitable Giving 01:43 Start with Your Financial Plan 03:10 The Real Financial Cost of Giving 06:13 Standard vs. Itemized Deductions 10:45 How New Tax Rules Affect Charitable Giving 12:19 Bunching Multiple Years of Charitable Giving 16:14 Why a Tax Projection Helps 17:30 Donating Appreciated Investments Instead of Cash 20:14 Resetting Cost Basis and Diversifying Your Portfolio 24:21 How Donor-Advised Funds Work 29:34 Qualified Charitable Distributions from an IRA 33:09 A Common QCD Tax-Reporting Mistake 36:27 Private Foundations 42:36 A New Deduction for Cash Gifts 43:19 Charitable Trusts 48:46 Putting the Charitable Giving Strategies Together 50:10 Giving Well Requires Planning

If you missed Episode 43, our conversation with the CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation explores how to evaluate causes, nonprofits, and philanthropic impact before deciding where to give. Watch Episode 43: How to Give More Intentionally with Dr. Shanaysha Sauls

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Subscribe for Episode Updates

Information contained herein has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. It is not intended as the primary basis for financial planning or investment decisions and should not be construed as advice meeting the particular investment needs of any investor. This material has been prepared for information purposes only and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This material is not tax or legal advice. Consult qualified tax and legal professionals before implementing a charitable-giving strategy.

Giving sounds easy. Giving well takes thought.

In Episode 43 of The Decision Dividend, Dr. Shanaysha Sauls, President & CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation, joins us to discuss her simple framework for charitable decision-making.

Gut. Head. Heart.

Together we discuss: • How thoughtful donors evaluate nonprofits before making significant gifts • What Form 990s and funding sources can reveal about a nonprofit's financial resilience • Why overhead is often misunderstood and impact is difficult to measure • How families can transfer not just wealth, but philanthropic values and legacy • How businesses can develop a giving strategy that reflects their values and community priorities

Chapters

00:00 Giving Sounds Easy. Giving Well Takes Thought. 06:21 What Community Foundations Actually Do 09:43 Defining Your Philanthropic Why 14:55 Gut. Head. Heart. 19:22 Understanding Nonprofit Funding Sources 26:04 The Truth About Overhead 32:36 Measuring Impact Beyond Outputs 39:44 Transferring Legacy Across Generations 47:51 Building a Corporate Giving Strategy 52:29 The One Question Every Donor Should Ask

Follow The Decision Dividend Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Follow on Spotify

Subscribe for Episode Updates

Information contained herein has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. It is not intended as the primary basis for financial planning or investment decisions and should not be construed as advice meeting the particular investment needs of any investor. This material has been prepared for information purposes only and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This material is not tax or legal advice. Consult qualified tax and legal professionals before implementing a charitable-giving strategy.