Make the most of health care expenses before end of year

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images As health-care costs continue to climb, you may want to make sure you’re not leaving valuable tax breaks or pre-tax dollars on the table this year. Rising premiums, steeper deductibles and higher out-of-pocket maximums have put more pressure on household budgets, making year-end planning important, experts say. Among […]

One fintech stock is on fire in 2025. How to bet on more gains using options

I was asked Wednesday about why certain stocks were in an options overwriting fund that, after starting out the year strong, has recently been underperforming. Although I am not one of its fund managers, I do have insight into the investment approach involved. At their core, most option overwriting strategies involve a long position in […]

Meta has taken a beating of late. How to buy the dip with less risk using options

META dropped 9% despite an earnings beat, due to a $15.93 billion one-time tax charge mentioned in their earnings call on Oct. 29. This happened even after they beat revenue and EPS estimates. Since then, META has dropped an eye-popping 20% and is finally showing signs of finding a bottom. Moments like these, where a […]

Market volatility is picking up. How to use option spreads to protect and maximize returns

Stock returns aren’t normally distributed. Very small daily returns occur more frequently than a normal distribution would suggest, and very large daily returns also occur more frequently than a normal distribution would suggest. The “average” move, perhaps unintuitively, occurs less frequently than a normal distribution would imply. If this doesn’t make sense, imagine a room […]

Mutual fund capital gains payouts are coming. Here’s how to avoid it

Violetastoimenova | E+ | Getty Images LAS VEGAS — As 2025 winds down, many investors are bracing for year-end mutual fund distributions, which can trigger a hefty tax bill for assets held in a taxable brokerage account. But there are strategies to avoid the payout, experts say.    For 2025, “you’ve got some pretty eye-watering numbers,” […]

How to pick a plan as health insurance premiums rise

A poster reads “Affordable Care Act Premiums Will Rise More Than 75%” as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (2nd-L), accompanied by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) (L), speaks at a news conference to call on Republicans to pass Affordable Care Act tax breaks on Capitol Hill on Sept. 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik […]

These inherited IRA mistakes could reduce your windfall, advisors say

Juanma Hache | Moment | Getty Images While many investors welcome a windfall, the rules for inherited individual retirement accounts are complicated — and mistakes can be costly.    Since 2020, certain inherited accounts are subject to the “10-year rule,” and heirs must empty the balance by the 10th year after the original account owner’s death.   […]

Apple gave up its earnings pop. How to trade it from here

Just days after long time tech darling surpassed $4 trillion in market cap, Apple delivered an earnings report that beat on both the top and bottom. However, the reason we saw shares jump by over 4% in after-hours was due to CEO Tim Cook’s robust guidance on future iPhone 17 sales forecasts. After Apple opened […]