Strategic Moves to Maximize Your Wealth

Written By: Neil Stalter, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, CBEC®, CDFA®, James Baker Jr., CFP®, ChFC®, & Allison Oberembt, CFP®,

For affluent families, year-end is more than a financial housekeeping exercise. It’s an opportunity to make strategic decisions that can materially influence taxes, estate exposure, long-term returns, and multi-generational planning. Markets, interest rates, and tax laws continue to evolve, and the fourth quarter remains one of the most impactful planning windows of the year.

Below are key areas sophisticated families often evaluate before December 31.

Proactive Tax Strategy: Maximizing Efficiency

Reducing taxes isn’t a once-a-year conversation, but the end of the calendar year provides unique advantages—especially for families with significant investment income, business interests, or concentrated stock positions.

We often see high-net-worth households benefit from:

• Tax-loss harvesting with intent — realizing strategic losses to offset gains while maintaining long-term investment positioning.
• Roth conversions — particularly in lower-income years or before anticipated tax bracket changes.
• Charitable giving optimization — including QCDs or gifting appreciated assets instead of cash to reduce taxable income while supporting philanthropic priorities.

For high-net-worth families, every move should be coordinated with CPAs and advisors to ensure all pieces work together, not in silos.

A New Landscape for Estate Planning

Recent federal legislation (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) increased the federal estate and gift tax basic exclusion amount to $15 million per individual starting January 1, 2026, with annual inflation adjustments beginning in 2027. For married couples, this means up to $30 million of assets can be transferred free of federal estate or gift tax. For many families, this change provides additional planning flexibility.

However, a higher exemption doesn’t remove the need for thoughtful strategy, especially for families with:

• Business ownership
• Highly appreciated real estate
• Illiquid assets
• Multi-generational wealth transfer goals

Trusts, intra-family loans, and strategic gifting remain powerful tools for ensuring assets transfer according to your wishes, in a tax-efficient and controlled manner. For households approaching or exceeding the exemption, planning early remains crucial.

Philanthropy With Purpose

Charitable intent is often a defining value for affluent families, and year-end is when many formalize contributions.

Strategies may include:

• Donor-Advised Funds
• Family foundations
• Gifting appreciated securities to avoid capital gains
• Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from retirement accounts

For many families, philanthropy is about more than deductions—it’s about legacy. Involving children or grandchildren in charitable decisions can promote financial stewardship and shared values across generations.

Business & Liquidity Planning

Many high-net-worth households are also business owners or hold equity compensation. Q4 is a natural point to review:

• Bonus timing and deferred compensation elections
• Equity vesting schedules
• Entity structure for tax efficiency
• Sale or succession planning for 2025–2026 markets

Coordinating CPAs, attorneys, and investment teams ensures these decisions support long-term strategy, not short-term convenience.

Retirement & Investment Alignment

With markets elevated and interest rates still high, year-end is a smart time for a portfolio and retirement review:

• Maximize contributions to employer plans and IRAs
• Consider catch-up contributions if 50+
• Evaluate whether RMDs or QCDs should be completed before year-end
• Rebalance portfolios to manage risk, liquidity, and concentrated positions

A disciplined review helps protect what you’ve built while positioning assets for the next economic cycle.

A Comprehensive Annual Review

The most successful families aren’t just investing—they’re coordinating.

A holistic year-end review often includes:

• Updating estate documents and beneficiary designations
• Reviewing titling of accounts and trusts
• Ensuring liquidity is aligned with planned goals and tax needs
• Stress-testing long-term projections against current interest rates and inflation

True wealth planning isn’t only about markets—it’s about ensuring every part of the balance sheet is working together.

Final Thoughts

Year-end financial planning gives affluent families a rare opportunity: to make proactive, strategic decisions that protect their legacy, support charitable goals, and optimize financial outcomes for the coming year and beyond. For those navigating meaningful wealth, business interests, or multi-generational planning, a tailored approach always creates the most powerful results.

Our advisory team regularly partners with families who want a more coordinated, forward-thinking strategy. If you would value a confidential conversation or second opinion heading into 2026, our calendars are open for private consultations.

Diamond State Financial Group 900 Prides Crossing, Newark, DE 19713

Neil Stalter CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, CBEC®, CDFA®

Associate Partner / Wealth Manager

James Baker CFP®, ChFC®

Senior Associate / Wealth Manager

Allison Oberembt, CFP®

Financial Advisor

Disclosures:

Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. 900 Prides Crossing, Newark, DE 19713.

Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.

Generally, a donor advised fund is a separately identified fund or account that is maintained and operated by a section 501(c)(3) organization, which is called a sponsoring organization. Each account is composed of contributions made by individual donors. Once the donor makes the contribution, the organization has legal control over it. However, the donor, or the donor’s representative, retains advisory privileges with respect to the distribution of funds and the investment of assets in the account. Donors take a tax deduction for all contributions at the time they are made, even though the money may not be dispersed to a charity until much later.