For many people approaching retirement, or those solidly in their retirement phase of life, the question of where to live eventually becomes more layered than simply choosing a neighborhood. Continuing Care Retirement Communities, or CCRCs, offer a compelling proposition: a single community that can accommodate independent living, assisted living, memory…

For professionals and investors sitting on highly appreciated assets, transferring or repositioning those assets can trigger one of the most substantial tax bills of their financial life. This is a challenge familiar to many Bay Area professionals who have accumulated significant wealth through restricted stock units (RSUs), employee stock purchase…

For executives and long-tenured employees who have built significant wealth through company stock, the case for diversification is rarely what holds people back. What makes the decision difficult is the tax cost of acting on it. Selling a large, appreciated position outright can trigger a substantial combined federal and California…

First, what is a pre-paid variable forward (PVF)? A pre-paid variable forward is a financial contract that allows investors with a large, concentrated stock position to access liquidity today while potentially deferring the capital gains tax that would otherwise come due in the year of a sale. For executives and…

Direct indexing has become one of the more frequently discussed strategies in wealth management circles over the past few years, and with good reason. For California investors managing significant assets and a steady stream of capital gains from equity compensation, RSU vesting, or liquidity events, the tax drag on a…

We are pleased to share our 2H 2026 Market Outlook, Attached At The Chip, which reflects where returns actually came from in the first half of the year. AI was not just a market story, it was an economy story, and it remains the dominant force heading into the back half,…

A new type of savings account for children officially opened for contributions on July 4, 2026, and given the questions we have been getting from clients with young kids, it is worth a proper breakdown of what these accounts are, how they actually work, and where the California-specific complications come…

For professionals in the Bay Area who have recently sold a business, diversified out of a concentrated stock position, or realized a significant capital gain, the question of what to do next with that capital is one of the first questions. One strategy worth understanding is investing in a Qualified…

Leaving California in retirement has become a popular consideration for many professionals in the region. The state income tax rate is among the highest in the country, the cost of living needs no introduction, and the financial appeals of favorable tax states like Nevada, Texas, Florida, or Washington seem obvious…

For professionals in the Bay Area managing substantial wealth, 529 plans are often an underutilized component of a broader tax and estate planning strategy. Most people are familiar with the basic concept: contribute to a tax-advantaged account, let the funds grow, and apply them toward qualified education expenses. For families…