The list of qualified expenses has grown well beyond college tuition. Knowing where the lines fall is what keeps a tax-free withdrawal from turning into a taxable one. Many families open a 529 plan when a child is born and give the rules little thought until the first tuition bill arrives. By then the question has shifted from how much to save to what the money can actually be spent on. The answer matters because the tax benefit depends on it. Earnings in a 529 plan grow tax-

The 2025 tax law removed the scheduled cut to the federal exemption, but for many Bay Area households, estate planning remains as relevant as ever. For several years, estate planners warned clients that the federal estate and gift tax exemption was scheduled to fall by roughly half at the end of 2025. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, eliminated that cliff. Instead of a reduction, the exemption rose. According to Morgan Lewis, the 2026 exemption is $15 mill

The first half of 2026 rewarded investors who stayed the course. The S&P 500 finished June up 10.2%, but the path was anything but smooth: a -4.3% first quarter gave way to a 15.2% second-quarter surge, the index's best quarter in six years. Beneath the headline, five sectors separated themselves from the pack: Industrials (+20.2%), Information Technology (+19.8%), Energy (+19.7%), Materials (+12.0%), and Real Estate (+11.5%), per S&P sector data compiled by Novel Investor. I

How Does the Charles Schwab 529 Plan Compare for California Residents? Propulsion Capital Management is registered to provide advisory services in the state of California. This analysis is written specifically for California residents evaluating 529 education savings plans. Why 529 Plan Choice Matters for Californians California does not offer a state income tax deduction or credit for 529 plan contributions — to any plan, including its own ScholarShare 529. That means Cali

Investing is often viewed through the lens of potential returns, but true wealth management is a game of risk mitigation and efficiency. While anyone can buy stock, an advisor ensures that your portfolio isn’t just growing but is doing so in a way that is sustainable and tax efficient. 1. Balancing the Risk-Reward Equation Every investment carries the risk of loss. A professional advisor’s primary role is to build an efficient portfolio—one that targets your required return w